ABUJA, Nigeria (AFP) -The feud at the summit of Nigerian politics erupted into the open yesterday when Vice President Atiku Abubakar spoke out against President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged plan to stand for a third term.

In response, Obasanjo’s camp called for the vice president to resign, deepening a rift between the Nigerian ruling party’s two most powerful figures that could destabilise Africa’s most populous nation and biggest oil exporter.

Armed police prevented Atiku from meeting with powerful political allies in an Abuja hotel late Wednesday, but the group moved on to another location and later released a video of their discussions to journalists.

In it, Atiku – a wealthy businessman who has made no secret of his desire to succeed Obasanjo – rallies opponents of moves to modify the constitution to allow the president to stand for re-election next year.”The presence of all of us here is a clear indication and manifestation of our solid support for you and what you believe,” Atiku told a cross-party group of lawmakers opposed to Obasanjo’s alleged ambition to serve another term.

Obasanjo was elected in 1999 in a vote which marked the end of Nigeria’s latest bout of military rule. He was re-elected in 2003, in an election marred by widespread ballot-fraud, and has not endorsed anyone to succeed him.

The president’s supporters are currently attempting to push a constitutional reform package through parliament which would strengthen Obasanjo’s powers and allow him to stand for a third term in April 2007.

But both opposition activists and disgruntled former regime loyalists argue such a move would jeopardise democracy and stir up more of the violence that has killed 20,000 Nigerians since Obasanjo came to power.

The president has never publicly said he wants to remain in power, but this week he told The Washington Post that he felt his successes should be reinforced by institutional reform before his job would be done.