2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Electoral Commission Removes VP's Name

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
15 March 2007

Nigeria 's electoral commission has removed the name of Vice¹ President Atiku Abubakar from the ballot² sheet, effectively disqualifying him from contesting next month's presidential elections. Gilbert da Costa in Abuja reports that the vice president's exclusion³ is bound to add to tensions as the country prepares for crucial elections next month.

 
Atiku Abubakar 
Vice President Abubakar's name was conspicuously⁴ missing from the official list of candidates for next month's presidential ballot, published by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Electoral commission head Maurice Iwu says Abubakar was excluded because he has been indicted⁵ for corruption⁶ by a presidential panel.

"What we have done is that we will now be able to look at those who fulfilled the eligibility⁷ clauses, who do not have any impediments to their eligibility and we published those," he said. "All we are saying is that he [vice president] has not been cleared. There are still pending⁸ issues and that is the way we see it."

An Abuja court last week ruled that the electoral commission had no power to disqualify any candidate from contesting the polls. The commission argues that the constitution bars anyone indicted by an investigating panel from standing⁹ in elections.

Abubakar is one of the leading candidates in the presidential polls and has vowed¹⁰ to challenge his disqualification in court.

 
Olusegun Obasanjo 

A Nigerian court last month ruled that President Olusegun Obasanjo has no power to sack the vice president.

Mr. Obasanjo declared the vice president's seat vacant in December, arguing he had technically¹¹ resigned by becoming the candidate for opposition¹² Action Congress.

The government has charged two close aides of the vice president with terrorism. The president has also withdrawn¹³ some of Abubakar's privileges, including security personnel, the use of cars and the official jet.

Mr. Obasanjo, a former military ruler, must step down after the election, which should mark the first transition from one civilian¹⁴ government to another since Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960.

Twenty-four candidates have been cleared to stand as candidates in the presidential ballot.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

4 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

5 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 eligibility   

n.合格，资格

参考例句：

• What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。

8 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

11 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

14 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。