By Austin Ekeinde
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, April 15 (Reuters) - Troops deployed on the streets of the main city in Nigeria's oil-producing Bayelsa state on Tuesday after a court quashed the election of its governor and ordered a fresh vote within 90 days.
An appeals court in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt annulled the election of Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), the tenth such ruling since nationwide elections a year ago marred by irregularities.
Judge Saka Ibiyeye said Sylva and other defendants could not prove an election for governor actually took place because they had failed to produce an authentic results sheet.
"The failure of the respondents to produce this form and prove beyond reasonable doubt that election (was) held is indeed fatal to their matter," Ibiyeye said in his ruling.
The streets of Bayelsa's capital city, Yenagoa, were largely empty as soldiers deployed in armoured personnel carriers after the court ruling. Pockets of opposition supporters celebrated in some parts of the town.
Bayelsa is the home-state of Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and the main base of militants fighting for greater control of the Niger Delta's oil wealth.
The vast wetlands region is home to the world's eighth biggest oil industry, exporting around 2.1 million barrels per day, but oil companies have been struggling to cope with a wave of violence including attacks on facilities and kidnappings.
Nigeria's April 2007 elections, including a presidential poll, were meant to be a landmark in Africa's most populous state, marking the first transfer of power from one civilian leader to another since independence from Britain in 1960.
But the polls were so marred by widespread ballot-stuffing, vote-rigging and intimidation, that European Union observers said the results were not credible.
Hundreds of results are being contested at tribunals, which have cancelled dozens of state and federal legislative results. Nine other governorship results have also been quashed.
President Umaru Yar'Adua's main rivals in the presidential race -- former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari and former vice president Atiku Abubakar -- have appealed to the Supreme Court after a tribunal rejected their demands for a re-run. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Writing by Tume Ahemba; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Mary Gabriel)
