The Irish Times notes that although outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo has admitted there was irregular balloting in the election, there are few that believe that his protégé (and winner of the presidential election) Mr. Umaru Yar’Adua will be deprived of office.

Concerns regarding the election began earlier in the year when Mr. Obasanjo tried unsuccessfully to change the constitution to allow him to run for a third term in office. Opposition politicians saw this as an attempt on Mr. Obasanjo’s behalf to cling to power. An all-out war with Vice President Atiku Abara ensued, where the two men charged each other with allegations of corruption, writes The Financial Times.

Despite Mr. Yar’Adua’s “good record for improving his state rather than embezzling” during his time as governor, there are fears that rigged elections could further destabilise the country, reports The Economist. The Irish Times comments that electoral fraud “is a sad blow for Africa’s largest and richest state,” especially for its international reputation and its prominent role in the African Union.