Nigeria's former President Olusegun
Obasanjo has quit the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 28
March elections, tearing up his membership card in public.
Mr Obasanjo has been fiercely
critical of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election on a PDP
ticket.
Mr Jonathan is facing a strong
challenge from opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari.
The elections, due on 14 February,
were postponed over security concerns.
BBC Nigeria analyst Ibrahim Shehu
Adamu says Mr Obasanjo's decision is a major blow to the PDP, showing the
divisions that have hit the party as it battles to extend its 15-year rule.
'Serious embarrassment'
In a statement, the PDP described Mr
Obasanjo as a "revered leader of our party" and said it was
"deeply saddened" by his resignation.
It added that it was
"bewildered" by the former president's choice to tear up his party
membership card in public.
Mr Jonathan's supporters are
confident that he will win the election
Mr Obasanjo, 77, was a founding
member of the PDP and led the party to two resounding victories after military
rule ended in 1999.
So, his decision to quit the PDP may
knock the morale of some party activists and persuade undecided voters to back
the opposition in the hard-fought presidential and parliamentary elections.
But Mr Obasanjo's move does not come
as a complete surprise. His influence within the party has been declining for
quite some time and he probably found it difficult to see President Jonathan -
whom he once mentored - ignoring his advice.
More worrying for Nigerians will be
the role of the military. There are growing suspicions that it is backing Mr
Jonathan, raising doubts about its impartiality and the credibility of the
elections.
Last week, Mr Obasanjo raised fears
of a coup. Many Nigerians will be hoping that his fears are misplaced and that
Nigeria holds a free and fair election in which the losing candidate gracefully
accepts defeat.
The Nigerian military issued its own
statement, calling Mr Obasanjo, a former military ruler as well as an elected
president, "a serious embarrassment" after he criticised its role in
the postponement of the elections.
Our correspondent says the
military's statement has raised concern among many Nigerians that it is taking
sides in a political dispute rather than remaining neutral.
Prior to tearing up his membership,
Mr Obasanjo told local media outside his residence that he was expecting to be
ejected from the party.
"They said they want to expel
me from PDP, although I have not been told, but I have my ears on the
ground," he said.
'Going for broke'
Mr Obasanjo said he would not be
joining another party.
"I will only be a Nigerian, I'm
ready to work with anybody regardless of political affiliation. Why would some
people say they want to send me away, they don't need to bother themselves,
here's your membership card, take it," he added.
Ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari
is President Jonathan's main challenger
Despite his pledge not to defect to
another party, Mr Obasanjo has been vocal in his support for Mr Buhari, the
candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), although he has fallen short
of offering an outright endorsement.
Last week, Mr Obasanjo told London's
Financial Times newspaper that he hoped the president was "not going for
broke and saying: 'Either I have it or nobody has it'".
Mr Jonathan hit back at Mr Obasanjo,
accusing him of threatening "national security" by whipping up
opposition to his rule.
"It is very regrettable that in
your letter, you seem to place sole responsibility for the ongoing intrigues
and tensions in the PDP at my doorstep, and going on from that position, you
direct all your appeals for a resolution at me," Mr Jonathan said.
Nigeria's election commission
postponed the presidential and parliamentary election after the military said
it would not be able to guarantee security at polling stations while it fought
militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east.
Mr Jonathan is contesting his second
presidential election. His presidency has been marred by powerful PDP members
defecting to the newly formed APC, fuelling speculation that he could be
defeated in the election.
He has also been strongly criticised
for failing to curb Boko Haram's insurgency.
Thousands of people have died as a
result of the conflict over the past six years, while more than three million
people have been forced from their homes.
The militants control a large
stretch of land in north-eastern Nigeria and have stepped up attacks on
neighbouring countries.
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