Party Wants Nigeria Leader to Quit Military

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.

Although Abacha has promised to hand over power to a civilian government later this year, critics believe that he is maneuvering to keep his hold on power.

The UNCP, the largest of five Nigerian political parties with the military junta’s stamp of approval, voted unanimously Thursday to designate Abacha as its candidate for elections in August.