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May 09, 2006
Nigeria MP in land-for-vote claim
A Nigerian MP has told the BBC that he was offered a plot of land if he agreed to back moves to let President Olusegun Obasanjo seek a third term in office.
Uche Onyeagucha said he refused the offer of land in the capital, Abuja.
The president's supporters are trying to get the constitution changed in the face of strong opposition in the country and the ruling party.
One of the president's supporters, MP Bako Sarai, denied that money or land were being offered for votes.
President Obasanjo has so far not said whether he will seek a third term but his supporters say he should run in elections due next year.
The bill proposing the constitutional changes is being debated by the National Assembly.
'Evidence'
"Somebody highly placed in government has asked me to sign an endorsement of the third term project and I would be adequately remunerated," Mr Onyeagucha told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
He said the term limits were the best way of protecting Nigeria's democratic system after years of military rule.
But Mr Sarai said such allegations were a "lie".
"If somebody says they were offered money, let them give evidence," he said.
Last week, the US warned Nigeria against changing the constitution.
Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who also wants the top job, has declared himself against the amendment.
He has helped Mr Obasanjo win two elections and has held the position of vice-president since 1999.
Some opponents of the constitutional change argue that the presidency needs to rotate among people from different regions and ethnic groups.
For the amendment to pass, it requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of the assembly and it needs the backing of two-thirds of the states.
Posted by Publisher at May 9, 2006 02:47 PM
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