Cold war in Nigeria's Presidential Villa

By Sola Odunfa
BBC, Lagos

Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party has ended a key meeting without ruling on the issue which is threatening to split the party - and the nation apart.

Obasanjo wants to stay and finish his reforms

The row between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is over the question of whether to change the constitution to let Mr Obasanjo stand for a third term.

Analysts say Mr Obasanjo is positively disposed to serving a third term in order to consolidate the economic reforms which he is pursuing and to continue his fight against corruption.

He is said not to trust Mr Atiku or any potential successors to continue these policies.

Although the party leaders avoided the question, the removal of Mr Atiku is regarded by many people as a matter of time.

Purge

On Tuesday, the vice-president's police aide-de-camp was arrested at the Presidential Villa.

Officially, the officer, a chief superintendent, was indicted for alleged breaches of security but unofficial sources linked the arrest to his overt political support for Mr Atiku's ambition to succeed Mr Obasanjo in 2007.

Our party will support any proposal that is democratic and of general application Ojo Maduekwe, PDP secretary

The aide-de-camp was the eighth personal member of Mr Atiku's staff to be sacked in the past two years of the cold war in the Presidential Villa.

Earlier this year, Mr Obasanjo publicly accused the vice president of disloyalty to him.

Since then many of the president's loyalists have been calling for the vice-president's resignation or forced removal.

The raid on the Washington home of Mr Atiku by officers of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in August provided more ammunition for the president's men.

The vice-president is the only member of the government and the PDP who has not joined in the campaign for an extension of Mr Obasanjo's tenure beyond 2007.

The party hierarchy has been purged of all those opposed to the campaign. They include three former national chairmen.

Confused

But after a meeting of the party leadership, the only statement released was that neither Mr Obasanjo nor the party was manipulating the National Assembly in its current process of amending the constitution.

Abubakar used to be a close ally of President Obasanjo

Why not when the party has a large enough majority to pass the amendment, some people may ask?

The PDP's answer is that it believes in the independence of the legislature and its ability to do a thorough job on the amendment.

Asked whether the president would seek a third term, PDP secretary Ojo Maduekwe answered:

"What we are saying is, that our party will support any proposal that is democratic and of general application."

This leaves Nigerians more confused than ever about the official position of the ruling party.

The on-going controversy is whether it is in the true spirit of democracy to amend the constitution to allow Mr Obasanjo to stand in the next election.