From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:NIGERIA: TENSION MOUNTS OVER MILITARY RULE EXTENSION
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 13:59:24 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: NIGERIA: TENSION MOUNTS OVER MILITARY RULE EXTENSION


lagos, dec 26 (ips/remi oyo) -- the delay in the handover date
to civilian rule by the military regime in this west african
nation has led to mounting tension between the government and
pro-democracy and human rights groups here.

even as the governmemt inaugurated the 27-member
civilian transitional council last week which will take over the
duties of the cabinet until president ibrahim babangida steps
down in august, discontent with the handling of the political
future of the nation continues to run wild.

already, there are pro-democracy movements springing up all
over the country and the government appears poised to stem
any act that may derail the transition programme it extended by
eight months.

wednesday, dr. beko ransome-kuti, leader of campaign for
democracy (cd), the group most vocally opposed to the extention,
and chair of the committee for the defence of human rights
(cdhr), was arrested at the border between nigeria and benin
republic.

''dr. beko ransome-kuti was on his way to the francophone
nation to contact fellow doctors in connection with an
medical exhibition billed for lagos early next year'', said
chidi ubani, secretary of the cd in a statement.

soon after the announcement of the extension of the
handover of power from jan. 2 to aug. 27 1993, the cd
announced that it would call the people to revolt against
babangida's government if it stayed a minute longer than the
earlier date.

posters and handbills bearing incriptions like
''babangida must go'' have appeared on street lamps and walls.

one of the posters says: ''babangida stands for hunger
and poverty, religious and ethnic riots, fuel scarcity,
galloping inflation, retrenchment, detentions without trial,
closure of media houses and universities, shooting of
unarmed protesters and summary executions of military
officers''.

as the cd, authors of the campaign materials, put up the
posters, security agents endeavour to remove them.

apart from the cd, other movements against the extension
have appeared. one is led by anthony enahoro, 69, a veteran
nationalist and activist against colonial rule based in benin,
200km east of lagos. (more/ips)
ret rop031


nigeria: tension (2)

his movement (as yet unamed) according to sources close to
its members, comprises politicians who had sympathy for the late
civilian political leaders, obafemi awolowo and aminu kano
as well as some retired generals, who feel that an extension of
military rule will bring the name of the military into
disrepute.

although the identity of such generals in still unclear,
both generals olusegun obasanjo and theophilus danjuma,
former head of state and chief of army staff respectively,
have voiced their displeasure against continued military
rule beyond jan. 2.

apart from the enahoro group, another, the campaign against
diarchy (cad) is led by ebenezer babatope, a former politician
and close aide of awolowo.

''the aim of cad, apart from educating nigerians about
the absurdities of diarchy (an old proposal where the military
and civilians share power), is to ensure that babangida leaves
by aug. 27, 1993'', babatope said.

olisa agbakoba of the civil liberties organisation (clo)
says his group is in support of the cd's action. ''the cd seeks
to bring about sustainable democracy within the meaning of the
original transiton programme, which was to have ended in october
1992 but was extended to january 1993 and now to august 1993'',
said agbakoba.

according to him, the object of the campaign is to
ensure the demilitarisation and strengthening of the democratic
process.

tai solarin, a renowned social crusader insists the
jan. 2 date for the handover should be kept religiously. ''i put
my hope and aspirations on jan. 2, 1993'', he said.

perhaps realising the dangers inherent in the government's
combative posture toward the agitation, anglican primate of
nigeria, archbishop abiodun adetiloye has advised nigerians to
accept the shift in the transition date.

''even though it may be painful to accept their decision,
let us, however, wait for them to misbehave again before we
react'', he said tuesday on the occasion of the 150 years
anniverssary of christianity in nigeria.

babangida came to power in a palace coup in 1985. he quickly
announced his intention to lead the country through a detailed
transition programme to a sustainable democratic system.

however, he has never been able to shake the suspicion among
critics that his intention was to transform himself into a
civilian president. the belief has apparently received some
credence with the extension of the programme due to the blatent
rigging by civilian politicians of the presidential primaries in
september, necessitating a re-run. (end/ips/ro/oa/92)
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