PDP wants a Muslim from the north as its candidate in next year's presidential election, ruling out acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

The People's Democratic Party said a southern Christian had led Nigeria for eight years and that it was "proper" for a northern Muslim to do the same.

PDP leaders have agreed that candidates must alternate between the two faiths.

Mr Jonathan, a Christian from the Niger Delta, is in charge as Umaru Yar'Adua, a Muslim, recovers from ill-health.

The 58-year-old president returned from a hospital in Saudi Arabia last week, but his condition is unknown and it is unclear when he could resume official duties.

Nigeria's 145 million-strong population is split roughly in half between Christians in the south and Muslims in the north.

Under an unwritten power-sharing agreement within the PDP, the party's candidates for the presidency should alternate between north and south after every two terms in office.

Mr Yar'Adua, a Muslim from the northern state of Katsina, became president in 2007, succeeding Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian who served two terms.

"The south had the presidency for eight years and it is proper to allow the north to have the presidency for eight years," PDP national chairman Vincent Ogbulafor told reporters after a meeting with officials late on Tuesday.

"[Mr Yar'Adua] is still the president. Goodluck Jonathan is still the acting president. What we discussed has to do with 2011," he said.

Correspondents say the announcement effectively prevents Mr Jonathan from seeking election in April next year, regardless of Mr Yar'Adua's fate.

The president has not been seen in public since late November, when he left Nigeria for treatment of what his doctor described as acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart.

Despite his ill-health, Mr Yar'Adua did not follow the constitutional steps that would have granted his vice-president temporary powers in his absence.

It was only on 9 February that the National Assembly appointed Mr Jonathan as acting president, allowing him to sign legislation, chair cabinet meetings, reshuffle ministers and release oil funds.

Last Wednesday, Mr Yar'Adua was flown back to Abuja, again causing confusion among officials despite a statement from his spokesman that Mr Jonathan would continue to serve as acting president.

Mr Jonathan, who has not said whether he intends to seek the presidency, has not seen the seriously-ill leader since he returned.

"Goodluck Jonathan is steering the ship of the nation very well. He is not an ambitious person," Mr Ogbulafor said.

"The president just came back and he has given him time to recuperate. He will see him at the appropriate time."

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Comments (3)

• |212.44.10.xxx |2010-03-04 15:58:37 Kunle Adeyemi  - Nigerian Needs a change in running the country
  I think we Nigerian needs a change and transperency of the quality of leadership, not to be based on religion or Northern versus Southern or oligachy/cabal ruling. We needs to move forward like other nations. The northern and few currupted southerners have hold Nigeria down for a long time, and in other to avert civil war like Bosnia in the former Yugoslavia and other unsettled countries of the world, its the right time for those who called themselves leaders to hold emmergency meeting as soon as possible. The smells of the war can be felt and people are very wilde now and cannot wait for few people to hold to on to thier future and the future of their children.
  Reply

• |212.44.10.xxx |2010-03-04 16:00:28 Kunle Adeyemi  - re: Nigerian Needs a change in running the country
  I think we Nigerian needs a change and transperency of the quality of leadership, not to be based on religion or Northern versus Southern or oligachy/cabal ruling. We needs to move forward like other nations. The northerners and few currupted southerners have hold Nigeria down for a long time, and in other to avert civil war like Bosnia in the former Yugoslavia and other unsettled countries of the world, its the right time for those who called themselves leaders to hold emmergency meeting as soon as possible. The smells of the war can be felt and people are very wilde now and cannot wait for few people to hold to on to thier future and the future of their children.
  Reply

• |93.150.159.xxx |2010-03-05 20:41:19 pastor.emmanuel shaba  - a pity
  It is a great pity that a nation of 150 million can be subjected to the dictatorship of only a few nigerians based on the fact that they have money,power and all other possibilities to be close to the hem of powers.All i see is a weak Jonathan,he should dissolve the FEC they are not worth anything and they have proved also to Jonathan that he is not in charge of the affairs of Nigeria, because had it been a northerner that had this opportunity like Jonathan has, vincent ogbulafor would have been filled with regrets.I think it is high time Nigerians carry out a revolution especially one against the said kabal of nigerian politics.It is high time Nigerians say enough is enough!
  Reply

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