From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:NIGERIA: THE RACE OF THE TITANS
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:47:54 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1993, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Asia, southern
Title: NIGERIA: THE RACE OF THE TITANS


an inter press service feature

by remi oyo

lagos, jan 14 (ips) -- political titans have taken an early
lead in the fresh race for nigeria's presidency which began
this week.

the exercise began monday, and 191 prominent nigerians,
including four women, have collected the forms from the
secretariats of the two political parties, the social democratic
party (sdp) and the national republican convention (nrc).

the roll call parades surprise and confirm speculations.

easily the most exciting is the involvement of yakubu gowon,
the 52-year-old retired general who ruled nigeria for nine years
from 1967, led a three-year-old civil war to victory and was
deposed in a coup for alleged mass corruption in 1975.

another suprise is the entrance late wednesday of
odumegwu ojukwu, the former nigerian army colonel who led the
civil war in eastern nigeria after breaking away from the
federation in 1967 and was head of the rebel republic of biafra.

businessperson, newspaper and telecommunications magnate
moshood abiola confirmed nearly a decade-long speculation of
his ambition for the country's number-one seat.

abiola, who retired recently as vice-president of the
multinational international telephone and telegraph (itt),
picked up his nomination papers tuesday.

other political heavyweights include 51-year-old bolaji
akinyemi, the oxford-trained professor of political science
who served the present military government as external
affairs minister from 1985 to 1989.

maitama sule, a one-time nigerian representative at the
united nations, economics professor adebayo adedeji, former
executive secretary of the u.n. economic commission for africa,
and governor saidu barde of the northern state of katsina are
also in the race.

another former diplomat, baba gana kingibe, has also proved
right his predictions for presedential ambitions. until november
1992 when military president ibrahim babangida dissolved the
executives of the government-inspired political parties, kingibe
was the sdp chair. (more/ips)

nigeria: the race (2)

the race to actual nomination is more tedious and longer
than the completion of a form.

under option four, the new electoral procedure approved by
the government, aspirants will be screened by the nec before
endorsement by ward and state congresses and local government
councils.

there are 7,000 electoral wards, 591 local government
councils, 30 states and the mayorality of abuja, nigeria's new
federal capital in the middle of the country.

the electoral procedure stipulates that only aspirants who
scale through the wards, local government and state hurdles
will qualify for participation in the conventions of the two
parties mar. 27-29.

even as the government through the national electoral
commission (nec) seems determined to enforce the new electoral
procedures, the controversy surrounding its use remains strong.

critics maintain the argument that option four will prove
chaotic to manage and will be more difficult than the direct
primaries organised by the parties.

''it cannot take us anywhere. it is a booby trap'', says
senator ibrahim kazaure, senate majority whip.

fellow senator and sdp member paul ukpo believes the new
procedures ''will bring more conflict precipitating stalemates
as supporters of aspirants from one ward will not want to vote
for another aspirant''.

''the home-boy factor will come to play and a stalemate may
begin'', adds ukpo.

for now, it appears the government has made up its mind on
the use of option four. ''all that is left for aspirants is
to ensure there is no chaos this time round'', one senior
government official told ips here wednesday.

many serious candidates have engaged the services of party
loyalists to enter the race in a bid to captuire the support of
their roots.

the loyalists will then transfer their support during the
national conventions to their mentors.

how the arrangement will work remains to be seen. what will
be interesting is how the electoral commission hopes to ensure
the weeding of aspirants to a manageable number. the number is
expected to grow by the day. (end/ips/ro/apc/93)
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