Flak for Obasanjo third-term
2006-04-06 20:46
Abuja - The feud at the summit of Nigerian politics erupted into the open on Thursday when vice-president Atiku Abubakar spoke out against President Olusegun Obasanjo's alleged plan to stand for a third term.
The split between the Nigerian ruling party's two most-powerful figures could destabilise Africa's most-populous nation and biggest oil exporter.
Armed police prevented Atiku from meeting powerful political allies in an Abuja hotel late on Wednesday, but the group moved on to another location and later made a video of their discussions available.
In it, Atiku - a wealthy businessman who has made no secret of his desire to succeed Obasanjo - talks about moves to modify the constitution to allow the president to stand for re-election next year.
"The presence of all of us here is a clear indication and manifestation of our solid support for you and what you believe," Atiku told the 2007 Movement, a cross-party group opposed to Obasanjo's alleged ambition to serve another term in office.
'90% of Nigerians are opposed'
Also present at the meeting were Muhammadu Buhari - a former military dictator who was defeated by Obasanjo in the 2003 presidential election - and at least three of Nigeria's 36 powerful state governors.
"You have no reason to doubt or fear because in the past few months, we have seen clearly in the print media, radio and television that more than 90% of Nigerians are opposed to this agenda," said Atiku.
Obasanjo was elected in 1999 in a vote which marked the end of Nigeria's latest bout of military rule.
He was re-elected in 2003, in an election marred by widespread ballot-fraud, and has not endorsed anyone to succeed him.
The president's supporters are trying to push a constitutional reform package through parliament which would strengthen presidential powers and allow him to stand for a third term in April 2007.
The president has never publicly said he wants to remain in power, but this week he told the Washington Post he felt his successes should be reinforced by institutional reform before his job would be done.
The president said that only God could predict what would happen next.
Parliamentarians will debate the constitutional proposals in the coming weeks, but the pro-Obasanjo lobby has already run into stiff opposition.
Major disruption forecast
"Let us step up this campaign. Let us step up this lobbying, particularly among members of the national assembly," Atiku told Wednesday's meeting.
"If they know they will not get the required number of votes, they will not bring the bill to the national assembly," he said.
In February, US director of national intelligence John Negroponte warned that the 2007 election "could lead to major disruption in a nation suffering frequent ethno-religious violence, criminal activity and rampant corruption."