Ribadu chosen as  Action Congress Nigeria candidate

Abuja, 15 Jan – (ANA) - Nigeria's former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu has been chosen as the opposition Action Congress candidate for April's presidential polls.

Two other contenders stepped aside to allow Mr Ribadu to win unchallenged.

His entry into the presidential race come after Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan won the ruling People's Democratic Party primary.

The PDP candidate has won every poll since the end of military rule in 1999, despite allegations of fraud.

The other main challenger for the presidency is former military ruler Gen Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition Congress for Progressive Change.

"I humbly accept the task," Reuters news agency quotes Mr Ribadu saying at the Action Congress convention on Friday afternoon in the commercial capital, Lagos.

He came to prominence as head of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

While in office Mr Ribadu prosecuted several high-profile politicians, before being sidelined after the elections in 2007.

His critics accused him of only pursuing rivals to then President Olusegun Obasanjo - accusations he always denied

He returned from exile in June 2010, after saying he had fled because attempts had been made on his life. (ANA)

FA/ANA/15 January 2011--------