Resignation of president could lead to further instability

On 23 October 2008 Nigeria's Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on the legitimacy of the April 2007 presidential poll that brought Umaru Yar'Adua to power. Opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar and Mohammadu Buhari brought the case to the court, claiming that the poll was marked with severe irregularities that significantly affected the election results. Yar'Adua has stated that if the ruling goes against him, he and his vice president will immediately step down from office. Although the court has stated that it will issue its ruling on 23 October, it could postpone the ruling and instead only announce a future date when it will be issued.