3 Parties Qualify for Further Voting

The electoral commission said three political parties met requirements to run in elections still to be held under the military regime’s plan to restore democracy. Only the People’s Democratic Party, the All People’s Party and the Alliance for Democracy attained at least 5% of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s states or emerged in the top three of nine parties that participated in local elections Dec. 5. The three will compete Jan. 9 for the 36 governorships as well as in legislative and presidential elections in February intended to lead to the resignation of military ruler Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar in May.