| 0 |
VOA
19980303t2078
.1600.0917
NEWS STORY
| 1 |
Nigerian security forces
clashede1
in
Lagos
with anti-government
demonstrators who were
protestinge2
calls for military
leader Sani Abacha
to
rune3
for
president.
| 2 |
Meanwhile, as
VOA West Africa
Correspondent Purnell Murdock
reportse2104
,
General Abacha
's supporters
begane4
a
two dayt25
rallye2008
in the capital,
Abuja, to
urgee6
him to
competee7
in
this yeart26
's election.
| 3 |
Nigeria
state radio
sayse8
thousands of people
begane9
gatheringe10
in the capital
Abuja
early Tuesdayt2221
for the
two dayt28
rallye2079
supportinge2109
General Sani Abacha
's
candidacye2114
.
| 4 |
Organizers
statee2120
the
two dayst29
of music, dancing, and speeches is
expectede2123
to
drawe13
some two million people.
| 5 |
But
ass2161
supporters of the military leader
gatherede14
in the north, riot
police
deployede15
in
Nigeria
's southern commercial capital Lagos, to
breake16
up a
protest
rallye2058
callede2176
by the political opposition.
| 6 |
Although
General Abacha
had not publicly
announcede18
his
candidacye2181
, many
people
believee2183
an
Abacha
presidencye2184
is a foregone conclusion.
| 7 |
Some analysts
saye2185
the
outcomee2186
of a
facee2187
off between the police and anti Abacha
political groups will be a
teste2188
of the opposition's resolve.
| 8 |
Purnell Murdock
,
VOA News
.
| | | | | | | | |