"I sincerely believe that we need to conduct our elections and affairs in accordance to the ideals of democracy," Yar'Adua stated. He also announced plans to implement recommendations from the country's Electoral Reform Panel.
When asked about corruption in his country, Yar'Adua pledged strict adherence to his "zero tolerance" rule of law and told VOA's Hausa Service that "there will be no sacred cows" in his government's efforts to combat corruption. "Not even the President will put himself above the law," he added.
Yar'Adua took office in May after elections in which observers reported widespread intimidation, disorganization and vote-rigging. The European Union said the elections were "not credible."
VOA interviewed President Yar'Adua following his speech before the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
VOA's Hausa Service airs 12 hours of programming weekly to Nigeria. For more information, visit our website at www.VOANews.com/hausa. For an English news story on the interview, visit www.VOANews.com/english/2007-09-28-voa18.cfm.
The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts more than 1,000 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 115 million people. Programs are produced in 45 languages.
For more information, please contact VOA's Office of Public Affairs at 202-203-4959 or via e-mail at publicaffairs@voa.gov.
