Nigeria VP loses official mansion

Mr Abubakar came third in last week's elections

Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has been asked to leave his official residence ahead of planned renovations.

Mr Abubakar will not return to the residence after the repairs as it is to be occupied by Nigeria's chief justice.

Mr Abubakar has fallen out with President Olusegun Obasanjo and contested last Saturday's presidential elections as an opposition candidate.

But the Supreme Court last week ruled that he remained vice-president until the new government takes over in May.

"The current residence of the vice-president was designed to be that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria," minister for the capital Nasir el-Rufai told reporters in Abuja.

But Mr Abubakar's spokesman says the vice-president is being victimised.

"What renovation are they talking about? They are not being honest, I tell you. They are giving us 'a quit notice' without really coming out to say so," Garba Shehu told the BBC's News website.

"They started by sacking all the domestic staff of vice-president. How can you live in a house where there are no cooks, no cleaners, nothing?

"As far as we can see, we have are being evicted without anyone really coming out to say so."

Perks

Mr Shehu says his boss will stay with one of his wives in a private residence in Abuja.

Following Mr Abubakar's defection to the opposition Action Congress last December, President Obasanjo declared his office vacant and asked the ruling PDP to find a replacement.

Mr Obasanjo also withdrew his deputy's official cars, police guards and denied him use of aircraft in the presidential fleet.

But after a court of appeal judgement that said Mr Abubakar could not removed from office, his perks were restored.

Mr Abubakar came third in the presidential elections but claims widespread fraud.

He was originally disqualified on corruption charges but five days before polling day, the court ruled he should be allowed to stand.