LAGOS - A new Nigerian decree gives its military ruler, Gen Sani Abacha, absolute power over local governments that were recently elected under a much-criticised plan to restore democracy, newspapers reported yesterday.
They said the decree on local councils elected last month was issued by the ruling military council on Wednesday. Nigeria's ruling generals hold up the peaceful conduct of the local elections as a sign of popular support for their plan to restore civilian rule by October 1998, despite criticism from pro-democracy campaigners.
The March ballot was the first multi-party election in Nigeria since a former military government annulled 1993 elections that would have ended 10 years of army rule and paved the way for Gen Abacha to take over.