Nigerian vice president suspended
Vice-President Abubakar Atiku
By BASHIR ADIGUN, Associated Press Sep 28, 2006.
Nigeria's vice president was suspended by his party for three months because of corruption allegations, preventing him from running for president on the party's ticket, an official said Thursday.
Atiku Abubakar only loses his party membership and will retain his title and powers as vice president, said Ojo Maduekwe, national secretary of the People's Democratic Party. But its timing will prevent Abubakar from running for the presidency on the ruling party's ticket.
The party is due to hold primaries on Dec. 16, 12 days before the suspension would expire.
Abubakar, who has denied any wrongdoing, had a public falling out with President Olusegun Obasanjo last year and many Nigerians see the corruption investigation as a way to prevent Abubakar from succeeding him. Obasanjo is prevented from running again by term limits.
In a statement, Abubakar called the suspension a "misuse of power" by the president and "part of an evil plot to stop me from contesting the 2007 presidential election."
Earlier this month, the government's anti-corruption agency released a report accusing Abubakar of mismanaging a fund intended to help train Nigerians in the oil and gas industry. Spokesmen for Obasanjo and Abubakar then swapped damaging allegations in the newspapers, each charging that the other misappropriated funds.
Charles Doukubo, an analyst with the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, said the party suspension came as little surprise to most Nigerians who had been observing the feud.
Doukubo said the vice president was likely to join another party in order to contest the general election in April.