ABUJA, Oct 9 (AFP) - Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo has cancelled a
planned trip to Abidjan in view of recent developments in the troubled west
African country, Information Minister Jerry Gana said here on Monday.
Obasanjo had planned to visit Abidjan on Sunday for talks with authorities
there following an appeal by junta leader General Robert Guei, who sent an
emissary to Abuja on Thursday, said a statement.  Guei appealed to Obasanjo
"to come quickly and assist in his personal capacity in finding a solution
to the crisis in his country," the minister said.  "In view of recent
development in Ivory Coast, that planned intervention has been overtaken by
events," he noted.  The constitutional chamber of the supreme court on
Friday barred 14 of 19 candidates f
rom standing in the October 22 poll,
leaving only Laurent Gbagbo and Guei, who was swept to power in a coup last
December, plus three minor politicians. But the Nigerian government
statement said that it "would have preferred that, in the interest of
peace, democracy, national accord and social cohesion, all candidates be
allowed to test their individual acceptance and popularity at the poll in
free, fair and transparent elections."  Nigeria believes that freedom of
choice is one of the fundamental ingredients of democracy, the statement
said. ola-ade/wai

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