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Nigeria's sick candidate stays
08/03/2007 15:40 - (SA)
Abuja - Nigeria's ruling party is worried
about the health of its presidential candidate after a surprise
medical trip abroad, but it has no better option than to stick
with him, politicians and diplomats said on Thursday.
Umaru Yar'Adua was flown to a German hospital on Tuesday
night after missing his own campaign rally in Lagos. The
official explanation is that he was stressed with a cold. He has
said he was fine and would return to the campaign within days.
But his health had been the subject of speculation since he
emerged as the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate because
he suffered from kidney problems in the past, and the trip to
Germany has reinforced doubts about his fitness for the job.
"Some politicians, especially in the north, will be
seriously worried about how this affects the whole power
equation," said Abdul Oroh, a member of the House of
Representatives from the PDP.
"But as long as he's alive the PDP cannot replace him now."
The unspoken fear is that Yar'Adua could become president,
but die on the job, making way for the vice-president to take
over. That would be Goodluck Jonathan, a southern state
governor, and he would deny the north its turn in power.
But the electoral law states that parties cannot replace
their candidates within 60 days of an election. The presidential
poll is scheduled for April 21. Only if a candidate dies can the
election be postponed for the party to find a replacement.
'No alternative'
Observers said it would be extremely difficult for the party
to find a way around the legal hurdles and produce a new
candidate so close to the election.
"They don't have an alternative. What are they going to do?
There's no way for them to replace him, not unless they do
something so illegal that it will cause a major crisis and I
don't think anybody wants that," said a senior diplomat.
The credibility of the election is already in doubt because
many candidates have been disqualified over allegations of
corruption that they say is politically motivated.
Yar'Adua is governor of the remote northern state of Katsina
and he was unknown in national politics until he became the
candidate in December. He won the PDP primary almost entirely on
the strength of Obasanjo's backing.
Critics say Obasanjo intends to use Yar'Adua as his puppet
though both men have denied this. Whatever the motivations for
Obasanjo's choice, analysts say the president will help Yar'Adua
in his bid for the presidency regardless of his health problems.
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