With few days to the swearing-in of Musa Yar’Adua as Nigeria’s President, forty eight Nobel laureates, including Prof. Wole Soyinka and Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, have criticized the conduct of last month’s elections in the country, calling for a cancellation of the entire elections.

They said the poll raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the incoming administration.

The scholars, in a statement made available to Pointblanknews, through the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, New York described the elections as undermining the confidence of Nigerians in constitutionalism and the rule of law.

They, therefore, called for new elections within one and a half years.

Besides, the Nobel winners called for a conference of national unity to discuss the nation’s crisis and set a date for new elections and consider electoral reform.

Last September, it called for the creation of a Commission of Nobel Laureates on Peace, Equity and Development in the Niger Delta.

The commission noted governance problems in the country and proposed steps to address the development and environment crisis in the oil-producing states.

The foundation said 48 Nobel winners had already signed the statement by Monday, hinting that more signatories were expected.

Part of the statement reads, “International and domestic monitors have determined that Nigeria‘s recent elections fell far short of acceptable standards, having failed the test of a free and fair ballot.

“We, the undersigned Nobel laureates, are concerned that the new government‘s lack of legitimacy increases prospects for violent conflict with serious consequences for Nigeria and the region.

“Therefore, we recommend a conference of national unity involving government officials, civil society, religious and business leaders to discuss the current crisis and set a date within 18 months for early elections, along with electoral reform.

“Our recommendation is offered in all responsibility, to help consolidate Nigeria‘s transition to democracy after decades of military dictatorship.

“It is made without prejudice to potential legal recourse by aggrieved candidates. Nor does our recommendation obviate the need for a credible enquiry into the electoral process that has undermined the confidence of Nigerians in constitutionalism and the rule of law.