Deal accepted by Babangida

LAGOS (Reuter) - Nigeria's military regime yesterday accepted a plan to set up an interim government to end the crisis triggered by the annulment of last month's election, President Ibrahim Babangida said.

Moshood Abiola, who claimed victory in the annulled 12 June poll, has repeatedly rejected the idea of an interim government, saying it would lack the popular mandate to tackle Nigeria's problems. The two army-created parties agreed to the idea on Wednesday to end the country's worst political crisis in a decade. Gen Babangida has pledged to give up power on 27 August.