ONITSHA: A senatorial candidate from Nigeria's opposition Labour Party was killed late on Wednesday by unknown gunmen in southeastern Enugu State, a local party official said on Thursday, the latest violent incident ahead of a momentous national election.
Nigerians are due to elect their next president and lawmakers on Saturday against a chaotic backdrop of armed conflict in the northeast, high levels of violent crime everywhere and shortages of cash, fuel and electricity.
President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution and the three-man race to succeed him is seen as the most unpredictable contest in recent Nigerian history.
Africa's most populous nation, biggest economy and top oil producer switched from army rule to democracy in 1999 but its elections have long been plagued by violence and fraud.
Police confirmed the killing of Labour Party candidate Oyibo Chukwu, which came hours after the parties and presidential candidates signed a pledge to support a peaceful electoral process.
Chinwuba Ngwu, the Labour Party chairman in the Enugu South local government area, said Chukwu had been ambushed and killed as he travelled back from a campaign event.
"He was shot dead and then set ablaze in his vehicle with his driver," Ngwu said. He initially said an aide had also been killed, but later corrected himself after finding out that the aide had not been in the car at the time.
"It is a devastating development for us. We are suspecting political assassination because he is favoured to win the election," he said.
A spokesperson for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu said it had the power under electoral law to suspend a poll in the event of a candidate's death and set a new date within 14 days. However, he said processes had to be followed and no decision had been made yet in this case.
US President Joe Biden earlier called for a peaceful, transparent election, urging parties and candidates to accept the results when they are published by INEC.
"All Nigerians deserve this chance to choose their future - freely and fairly," Biden said in a statement.
"While the United States does not support any single candidate or party, we strongly support a peaceful and transparent process that reflects the will of the people of Nigeria."
The main candidates for president are former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, 70, who represents the ruling party, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 76, who represents the main opposition party that was in power from 1999 to 2015, and Peter Obi, 61, an anti-establishment candidate popular among many young voters.
Obi, an ethnic Igbo, is running on the Labour Party ticket. He is particularly popular in the Igbo heartland in southeastern Nigeria, which includes Enugu State, and this may have boosted the lesser known party's profile in the region. -- Reuters
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