JURIST - Paper Chase: Nigeria VP named on commission list of corrupt politicians

[JURIST] The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [official website] of Nigeria [JURIST news archive] on Wednesday released an advisory list [press release] of 135 Nigerian politicians considered to be too corrupt to hold office, including Vice President Atiku Abubakar [official website], who has left the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) [BBC profile] to run for the presidential ticket. Commission chairman Nuhu Ribadu explained that by making the list, distributed to political parties in anticipation of national elections in April [INEC website], commission hoped to encourage political parties to prevent named politicians from running for office. The full list includes 82 opposition candidates and 53 candidates from the ruling PDP party.

Abubakar and President Olusegun Obasanjo [official profile] have been in a bitter legal dispute [JURIST report] over whether Abubakar can remain in office as Vice President while running for president. In October, Abubakar was formally charged [JURIST report] on twelve counts of corruption. In December the PDP expelled [Afrol report] Abubakar from the party over corruption allegations [AP report] linking the Vice President to US Congressman William Jefferson [JURIST news archive]. A spokesman for Abubakar dismissed the commission list released Wednesday as blackmail. BBC News has more. The Nigerian Tribune has local coverage.

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