FREETOWN, Sierra Leone: Nigeria's outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo told Sierra Leoneans to "copy the good side, not the bad side" of his country's recent elections — which his ruling party won by wide margins, but which observers denounced as flawed.

Speaking on Saturday during a visit Sierra Leone's capital, Obasanjo praised his party's victories in Nigeria's state, presidential and parliamentary elections, saying there was a "need for continuity in development policies, and our party has brought about that continuity."

Sierra Leone holds its own presidential and parliamentary elections on Aug. 11.

Obasanjo, a former military leader, was making a one-day, farewell tour of Sierra Leone and Liberia before handing over the Nigerian presidency on Tuesday to Umaru Yar'Adua, 56, seen as his hand-picked successor.

Obasanjo has acknowledged that the April voting in Nigeria was imperfect. International observers said the elections were not credible, and the opposition alleged vote rigging.

Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf — Africa's first elected female head of state — presented him with an honorary law degree from the University of Liberia.

"When we found ourselves tearing ourselves apart, you took the bold leadership to put yourself, your nation and your people at risk. Nigerians have suffered with us, they have died for us. In many ways they have redeemed us," she said Saturday in the capital, Monrovia.

Obasanjo answered: "Whatever Nigeria as a nation has done to help in any part of Africa when help is needed — particularly here in Liberia where help is so needed — we have done it to help ourselves."

Obasanjo first won the Nigerian presidency in 1999, and was re-elected in 2003 elections denounced as flawed. He was barred by term limits from running again in April.

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Associated Press Writer Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia, Liberia, contributed to this report

Robot  Villager

# 1 President Olusegun Obasanjo told Sierra Leoneans to "copy the good side, not the bad s...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 27.05.2007 21:11

pappilo  Villager

# 2 which good sides of the elections? can someone please remind me Posted by pappilo| 28.05.2007 04:25