Nigerian ruling party backs reclusive governor

ABUJA, Dec 17 (Reuters) Nigeria's ruling party has voted overwhelmingly for a reclusive Muslim state governor, Umaru Yar'Adua, to be its candidate to succeed Olusegun Obasanjo as president of Africa's most populous nation next year.

Yar'Adua, a 55-year-old former teacher who suffers from a kidney condition, beat 11 other contestants for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) ticket to run in elections in April which should mark the first fully democratic transition in Nigerian history.

Party officials read out each of the estimated 5,000 votes one by one last night and Yar'Adua won an overwhelming majority after almost half the votes had been counted.

But the atmosphere in the Eagle Square parade ground in the capital Abuja was downbeat and most delegates left immediately after casting their vote, not waiting for the results or a victory speech.

''He has a long way to go considering the gloomy faces of the delegates and the empty seats after voting,'' said Hamisu Shira, chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters and PDP member.

Yar'Adua's candidacy rests almost exclusively on the support of Obasanjo, because he is little known having rarely left his remote northern state in seven years as governor.

Obasanjo persuaded influential state governors to back his candidacy with a mixture of inducements and threats of investigation by anti-corruption officials, analysts said.

''Umaru is the most unlikely candidate. Not a single governor really supports him because he has not endeared himself to them,'' a delegate said.

Obasanjo's election in 1999 marked a return to democracy after three decades of almost continuous army rule, and next year's poll should mark the first handover from one elected president to another since independence from Britain in 1960.

Obasanjo has said any successor must deepen his economic reforms, but critics say the former military ruler is just installing a puppet to protect himself from prosecution when he loses presidential immunity.

CONSCIENCE OF THE PARTY Just before voting began yesterday, the PDP changed its constitution to allow Obasanjo to become the ''conscience of the party'' as its chairman after he steps down in May, a position which will control party funds and membership.

Yar'Adua comes from a prominent political family. His elder brother Shehu was the second in command during Obasanjo's first government as military ruler in the 1970s.

With deep pockets, tight control over security forces and an unrivalled nationwide network, the PDP is the party to beat.

But the opposition is benefiting from disaffection in the PDP, which has been fuelled by a split between Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Many PDP members have also defected to the opposition in the wake of primaries at the state and local levels where the party imposed many unpopular candidates.

Two main opposition parties, All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and Action Congress (AC), signed an alliance this week and analysts expect former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari to become their candidate.

They hold their presidential primaries on Sunday and Monday respectively and the battle for control of Nigeria's 36 states -- key to winning the presidency -- will begin.

REUTERS PDS BST0644