Nigeria appeals court allows VP disqualification from presidential race News
Nigeria appeals court allows VP disqualification from presidential race

[JURIST] The Nigerian Court of Appeal ruled Tuesday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) [official website] has the right to disqualify presidential candidates for fraud, thus barring Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar [official website; JURIST news archive] from running in the April 21 election. INEC removed Abubakar's name from the ballot because he was indicted on corruption charges [JURIST report], along with his political rival Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo [BBC profile], for diverting money to private interests. Tuesday's unanimous ruling overturned a lower court decision that the INEC did not have the authority to remove candidate names from the election list after Abubakar filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against the commission for doing so.

Lawyers for Abubakar said they plan to immediately appeal the verdict to the Nigerian Supreme Court [official website]. Abubakar alleges that his indictment was politically motivated by Obasanjo in an effort to quash the democratic process before this month's elections. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

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