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| Nigerian contender seeks check-up | Nigerian contender seeks check-up |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Nigeria's ruling party presidential contender has been flown to Germany for a medical check-up. | Nigeria's ruling party presidential contender has been flown to Germany for a medical check-up. |
| Umaru Yar'Adua, 55, is the front runner to win April's poll and has previously suffered from a kidney illness. | Umaru Yar'Adua, 55, is the front runner to win April's poll and has previously suffered from a kidney illness. |
| His People's Democratic Party says doctors had advised Mr Yar'Adua to go for further tests overseas, but insists he will return to the campaign early. | His People's Democratic Party says doctors had advised Mr Yar'Adua to go for further tests overseas, but insists he will return to the campaign early. |
| A BBC correspondent says concerns about Mr Yar'Adua's health is giving way to speculation that he may be replaced. | A BBC correspondent says concerns about Mr Yar'Adua's health is giving way to speculation that he may be replaced. |
| He became the PDP presidential candidate after being backed by President Olusegun Obasanjo - who steps down in April after eight years in power. | He became the PDP presidential candidate after being backed by President Olusegun Obasanjo - who steps down in April after eight years in power. |
| Gruelling task | Gruelling task |
| A spokesman for the PDP said Mr Yar'Adua's trip abroad was part of a routine medical check-up. | A spokesman for the PDP said Mr Yar'Adua's trip abroad was part of a routine medical check-up. |
| The party said he would take time off from a gruelling campaign and would rejoin the campaign trail early. | The party said he would take time off from a gruelling campaign and would rejoin the campaign trail early. |
| The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says the PDP's assurances will do little to calm widespread concerns about Mr Yar'Adua's state of health. | |
| It will increase speculation that he could be replaced as the party's candidate. | It will increase speculation that he could be replaced as the party's candidate. |
| Not least, our reporter says, as being president of a country like Nigeria is such a gruelling task and the presidential elections are only a month away. | Not least, our reporter says, as being president of a country like Nigeria is such a gruelling task and the presidential elections are only a month away. |
| In January, Mr Yar'Adua sought to squash rumours about his health inviting his critics to a game of squash if they could play 12 straight squash sets. | In January, Mr Yar'Adua sought to squash rumours about his health inviting his critics to a game of squash if they could play 12 straight squash sets. |
| A tall, thin, quietly-spoken man, Mr Yar'Adua was a relatively unknown northern Muslim governor before he won the governing party primaries with the backing of President Obasanjo. | A tall, thin, quietly-spoken man, Mr Yar'Adua was a relatively unknown northern Muslim governor before he won the governing party primaries with the backing of President Obasanjo. |
| As the governing party's candidate, with access to its money and power, he is widely considered to be the favourite to become Nigeria's next president in elections in April. | As the governing party's candidate, with access to its money and power, he is widely considered to be the favourite to become Nigeria's next president in elections in April. |
| The Katsina governor has a reputation as having run one of the country's most honest state administrations. | The Katsina governor has a reputation as having run one of the country's most honest state administrations. |
| The polls should become the first transfer of power in Africa's most populous country from one elected leader to another since independence in 1960. | The polls should become the first transfer of power in Africa's most populous country from one elected leader to another since independence in 1960. |