Talks to resolve the dispute between Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have been halted, the BBC has learnt.
The confidential talks started last weekend and were proposed after Mr Abubakar was charged with corruption.
Mr Abubakar is reported to have been offered a deal under which he ended his presidential ambitions in return for the dropping of the corruption charges.
However, he is reported to have rejected the offer.
Called off
Senior government sources say that on Sunday, four ministers – all allies of the president – secretly met representatives of the vice-president to see if they could end this public dispute between the two top men in Nigeria.
Accounts differ as to what was on the table at this preliminary meeting, but it seems the vice-president was offered some sort of amnesty, or “soft landing” as it is known in Nigeria, in relation to the corruption probes in return for him abandoning his presidential ambition.
But that was unacceptable to the vice-president.
A second meeting scheduled for Tuesday was then called off.
The BBC’s Alex Last in Lagos says at the heart of this story is the vice-president’s desire to take the top job in next year’s elections, and President Obasanjo’s desire to stop him.
Their enmity stretches back years but came to the fore earlier this year, when Mr Abubakar came out publicly against attempts to change the constitution to allow the president another term in office, our reporter says.
Last month, the vice-president was indicted on charges of corruption, which could stop him from running for office.
He denies allegations he diverted $125m into personal business interests.
While those indictments are being challenged in court, the vice-president’s camp has in turn, accused Mr Obasanjo of graft.
Early last week, the country’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suspended Mr Abubakar from its ranks, saying it found the corruption charges against the vice-president too embarrassing.
Mr Abubakar will remain in office, but his suspension means that he will not be eligible to seek the PDP’s nomination for the presidential election.
Our reporter says that in this battle, Mr Abubakar has more to lose, not least his dream of becoming Nigeria’s next leader.