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Nigeria's Vice President Wins Court Backing for April Vote
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=168C0D1:A6F02AD83191E1600C1D2115503323FB9574F7DCC14957C0 Court rules
electoral commission has no power, under existing law, to disqualify
Atiku Abubakar A Nigerian court has ruled the electoral commission
cannot disqualify the country's vice president from next month's
presidential elections. Meanwhile, the ruling party candidate has gone
to Europe for medical care because of a kidney problem. For VOA,
Gilbert da Costa reports from Abuja.



The court ruling is a political lifeline for the vice president, who
is embroiled in a complex legal and political dispute with President
Olusegun Obasanjo.









Atiku Abubakar Vice President Atiku Abubakar wants to run for
president in elections next month, on the ticket of an opposition
party. The electoral commission had declared Abubakar ineligible for
the election because he has been indicted by a presidential panel for
corruption.



The federal high court declared the electoral commission had no power,
under existing law, to disqualify the vice president.



A spokesman for the vice president's campaign office, Garba Shehu,
says the judgment is a huge relief and removes all impediments in
pursuing the vice president's political ambition.



"We believe this is the last bus stop," said Shehu. "There is nothing
more anybody can do to stop the vice president from contesting the
elections. The fact that we were trying to put all our energy, all our
attention on the race, you cannot pretend [disqualification] is not a
distraction. So, we are absolutely happy about it."









Umar Yar'adua (December 2006 file photo)Earlier, the ruling People's
Democratic Party presidential candidate, Umar Yar'Adua, was flown to
Germany for medical treatment. The Katsina state governor has suffered
from a kidney condition in the past and his health condition has been
under intense scrutiny since he became the ruling party's candidate
last December.



The candidate's spokesman says Yar'dua is in stable condition, denying
reports that he collapsed and lost consciousness.

Yar'adua, Abubakar, and former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari are
considered the frontrunners for the April 21 election.


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