Rampaging goats accused of Nigeria election sabotage

Opposition party accuses rivals of sabotage as VP candidate forced to make emergency landing due to runway goats.

ABUJA: A Nigerian opposition party accused its political rivals of sabotage on Tuesday after its vice presidential candidate was forced to make an emergency landing due to a runway invasion by rams and goats.

Fola Adeola, vice presidential candidate for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and other party chieftains made the forced landing, damaging their plane, after airport staff in the northern city of Bauchi failed to control the beasts.

"Is it possible for President (Goodluck) Jonathan ... to be involved in such a situation where the runway he is to land on will be filled by rams," campaign spokesman Ibrahim Modibbo said, adding Adeola and others on board had "narrowly escaped death."

"We suspect sabotage," he said in an emailed statement, calling for an immediate investigation.

Former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu, the ACN's presidential candidate, had to remain in the air for over an hour in another plane before the runway was cleared.

Africa's most populous nation holds elections in April. Past polls have been marred by irregularities, but they have tended to involve ballot-stuffing and fraud rather than farm animals.