Nigeria Politics

The offense that landed Arthur Nzeribe in a Nigerian prison for 20 days recently would not be unusual in most of Africa's one-party states and military dictatorships: He was caught addressing a political rally in his own home. But it was something special in Nigeria, where the military government has opened up the political process in preparation for handing over rule to a democratically elected civilian government in 1992.

As fighting between Christians and Muslims spreads to Nigeria's southeast, the government and leaders from the mostly Muslim north agreed to back away from calls for Islamic law in an effort to end the bloodshed that has wracked Nigeria for a week.

As fighting between Christians and Muslims spreads to Nigeria's southeast, the government and leaders from the mostly Muslim north agreed to back away from calls for Islamic law in an effort to end the bloodshed that has wracked Nigeria for a week.

Nigerians voted Saturday in landmark parliamentary elections, marking the latest step in their country's transition to civilian rule and greater democracy. An estimated 40 million voters in this West African nation were given their first chance in 15 years to select civilians for a two-chamber National Assembly. However, there was little fanfare here in Nigeria's commercial capital and second city.

A former military ruler--and political prisoner--was named the presidential nominee from Nigeria's most prominent political party Monday, putting him in a strong position to lead the nation's latest attempt at democratic rule. Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria for three years before relinquishing power to an elected government in 1979, was named the candidate from the People's Democratic Party, which has won key victories in local government and state elections since December.

The military junta has arrested the leader of a human rights group that led several recent protests against the regime. Olisa Agbakoba, chairman of United Action for Democracy, was seized by police at the international airport in Lagos upon his return from Ghana, the group said in a statement. Police declined to comment. The group claimed responsibility for an anti-government protest in the southwestern city of Ibadan last week that left seven people dead and dozens of cars and homes burned.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson returned Saturday from a White House-backed mission to Nigeria and called on President Clinton to appoint a special envoy to help resolve an increasingly violent political deadlock in that oil-rich West African nation. He called it a "combustible situation that may soon lead to civil war."

Over breakfast at his sprawling home in Nigeria a few months ago, Moshood K.O. Abiola ruminated on his embattled political strategy. The multimillionaire had been chosen Nigeria's president in a free and fair election last year. But when the vote was annulled by the military, Abiola, fearing a blood bath, opted to avoid confrontation. His decision left the democracy movement in tatters. "I'm a politician," he explained at the time, pausing to wipe sweat from his brow, "not a guerrilla leader."

At least 11 people were reported killed in Lagos as tens of thousands of people set fires and blocked roads to demand an end to military dictatorship. It was the first report of deaths since Lagos protesters began pressuring the government on Monday to recognize the annulled June 12 presidential election that was to end a decade of military rule. The reported winner, businessman Moshood K. O. Abiola, appealed to people to resist the dictatorship of Gen.

Shortly after nominating dictator Gen. Sani Abacha for president, Nigeria's largest government-backed political party insisted that he resign from the military before campaigning, news reports said Friday. "We are talking about a transition to democracy," Gbazuagu N'Gbazuagu, secretary of the United Nigeria Congress Party, said in an interview carried Friday in Lagos newspapers. "We will not, I repeat, we will not support his being in uniform to contest" the presidency.

A former military ruler--and political prisoner--was named the presidential nominee from Nigeria's most prominent political party Monday, putting him in a strong position to lead the nation's latest attempt at democratic rule. Olusegun Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria for three years before relinquishing power to an elected government in 1979, was named the candidate from the People's Democratic Party, which has won key victories in local government and state elections since December.

International and domestic monitors on Tuesday praised the conduct of Nigeria's local elections last weekend but warned that some problems will have to be sorted out before state and federal voting early next year. Nigerians across this sun-soaked capital of golden domes and granite hills celebrated what many believe to be a new era in their troubled history.

An upsurge of trouble in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta has been testing the new military rulers' tolerance of dissent, forcing them to deal with the aspirations of impoverished ethnic groups and further endangering an already weak economy. In the recent history of the world's sixth-largest oil producer, competing demands for the wealth generated by black gold often have made it seem more of curse than a blessing.

This country's military ruler sought Monday to end years of terrible turmoil in the oil-rich, strategically important nation, offering a program of political and economic reforms and a pledge that the junta here will hand over power to a democratically elected civilian government by May 29. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who succeeded Gen.

As Nigerians continued waiting for their new military government to announce its plans for a transition to civilian rule, members of the country's political opposition insisted Sunday that the fervor of their struggle for democracy has not been stifled after the death of popular politician Moshood Abiola.

Riots and protests flared anew Thursday over the death of the country's most prominent political prisoner, and the ruling military council put off a final decision on restoring democracy. The council said a small working group will report to leader Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar in a few days. It also commuted death sentences handed down against six men convicted of plotting to overthrow the country's former dictator.

Jailed opposition leader Moshood K. O. Abiola rejected a court's conditions for his release, including a ban on any activity that could undermine the military government that has charged him with treason. Abiola's release is one of the primary demands of Nigerian oil workers, whose monthlong strike has nearly paralyzed this West African country. An earlier military regime annulled the 1993 presidential election in which Abiola was the apparent winner.

International and domestic monitors on Tuesday praised the conduct of Nigeria's local elections last weekend but warned that some problems will have to be sorted out before state and federal voting early next year. Nigerians across this sun-soaked capital of golden domes and granite hills celebrated what many believe to be a new era in their troubled history.

As fatal rioting rocked Nigeria and its military leader dissolved his Cabinet, analysts said Wednesday that the death of Moshood Abiola, the nation's most prominent political prisoner, has complicated and probably delayed prospects for a peaceful push for democracy there. Foes of the Nigerian military regime, observers said, now must scramble to find another figurehead for their struggle against political and civil injustice, after Abiola died Tuesday from what was apparently a heart attack.

This nation's new military leader, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, on Monday ordered the release of nine of its most prominent political prisoners--including a former head of state, union leaders and pro-democracy activists. However, the country's best-known political detainee, Moshood Abiola, apparent winner of 1993's nullified presidential election, was not listed among those to be freed. The prisoners have been held in jails across the West African nation.