President Olusegun Obasanjo said he has begun a 14-day fasting and intensive consultations on whether to contest in the 2003 presidential polls.

He promised to make his intention known to Nigerians only at the end of the exercise.

President Obasanjo made his fasting and prayers public yesterday when members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the South-West and the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) visited him at his Otta farm to pressurise him to contest in next year's presidential election.

Obasanjo decided to engage in fasting and consultations in order to have proper guidance from God and the people.

President Obasanjo, who has consistently tied his decision on the 2003 presidential election on God's guidance and intervention told his campaigners, led by the PDP national chairman (South-West Zone), Chief Bode George, that Nigerians would only know his decision at the expiration of the 14-day fasting and consultation.

Reacting to series of requests by South-West PDP and the leadership of Yoruba Council of Elders urging him to contest in the 2003 election, Obasanjo said that the next two weeks would witness a lot of consultations on the issue.

He said it was important for him to continue with process of consultations to carry everybody along, adding that if those to be consulted failed, problems could be created in the system.

The president said there was the need for mobilisation to evolve an electoral process devoid of violence and malpractices.

"I did not buy votes before and I will not buy votes if I have to run again," he said, adding that to make a difference, the electoral process must be free and fair.

He said he would not be a party to corruption, noting that he had dismissed some party faithfuls, who came to him on Sunday to say that they were suffering because the PDP, unlike other parties, was not giving them money.

"You did not send me to Abuja to steal," he said, stressing that the nation was deprived of valuable physical development due to stealing.

He urged Nigerians not to trivialise elections by basing them on ethnic sentiments, noting that those who stood for elections should be voted in on the basis of their track record and performance.

"I am internally digesting what you have given me (letter of appeal), but a lot of consultations still have to be made," he said, adding: "Let us leave it in the hands of God and let God do His will."

Earlier, the PDP South-West led by its national vice-chairman, Chief Olabode George, who was accompanied by other Yoruba leaders, youths and women had separately urged Obasanjo to run again in 2003.

At the occasion were Richard Akinjide, Justices Kayode Esho, Adewale Thomas, Internal Affairs Minister, Sunday Afolabi and leaders of the Yoruba Council of Elders.

Obasanjo's statement yesterday has put paid to speculations that he would declare his intention to contest next year's presidential elections today. Top notchers of the PDP were reported to have chosen Otta as the venue of the declaration as a political masterstroke.

The PDP faithfuls also wanted Obasanjo to agree to contest next year's presidential election in order to discourage other agitators from other parts of the country. They said it would also assist to galvanise support for the president.

Obasanjo has been keeping the nation waiting on the issue of his formal declaration to run for a second term.

He had held back categorical answers on several occasions at which he was asked to clear the air on his second term bid. On January 21, during a courtesy visit by the PDP Women's Wing led by Mrs. Josephine Anenih, Obasanjo told the women who demanded a categorical statement that "let us watch and pray."

And on February 19, when the women's wing of Obasanjo Solidarity Forum (OSF) told him that they had prayed for a positive answer, Obasanjo said he was still waiting for divine intervention and/or guidance.

During a BBC World Service interactive programme Talking Point he said he did not intend to remain in Aso Villa for too long.

Also in a Radio Nigeria programme The President Explains last Saturday, he parried several questions from callers on the issue, preferring to address such matters at a later date.

On Sunday, however, in the monthly NTA programme, Media Chat, he decried the statement credited to him that his not contesting in next year's elections would have severe consequences for the country and the West African sub-region.

He said he was quoted out of context and that what he actually said was that "the decision to run or not is monumental and requires monumental preparation for it has consequences for me, for West Africa and others."