Leaving it late

Six months ahead of the next presidential election, no one knows which candidates are standing and which are heading for gaol

In a system that typically leaves the key decisions until the last moment, Nigeria's politicians are leaving things very late. Nominations for candidates for next April's state and presidential elections must be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by December. Although there are more than 40 parties now registered, most are underfunded or deeply divided. None has a clear front-runner - and many of the leading aspirants are in trouble. Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has long maintained that he should be the natural choice of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to take over from President Olusegun Obasanjo. Yet Obasanjo's aides say Abubakar, a former deputy head of customs, epitomises all that is wrong with the political class in Nigeria. In September, the Vice-President was indicted by a cabinet committee over allegations of misuse of public funds and abuse of office.

Article Tags:
Atiku Abubakar, Olusegun Obasanjo, Mike Adenuga, , Otunba Fasawe, Ibrahim Babangida, Nuhu Ribadu, Gabriel Katri, Swiss, Muhammadu Buhari, Chuba Okadigbo, Ahmed Sani Yerima, Orji Uzor Kalu, Chimaraoke Nnamani, Ayo Fayose, Joshua Dariye, , Babagana Kingibe, Mallam, Nasir el-Rufai, Sani Abacha, Sudanese, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Benedict, Israel, United States, Martin Luther Agwai, Sharia

end of preview

To read the rest of the article you need to either log in or do one of the following:

Subscribe to Africa Confidential Find out more
Purchase this article on its own Find out more

If you have a print subscription already please click here for full access to the website.
If you have already logged in and believe you should have access to this article please contact customer services.