VZCZCXRO0790
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0669 1010655
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 110655Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9119
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0225
RUEHCD/AMCONSUL CIUDAD JUAREZ 0223
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 6537
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS ABUJA 000669 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM NI ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ELECTIONS PREP - THE SIX STATE TOUR 
 
REF: LAGOS 241 
 
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Poloffs visited Enugu, Anambra, Kaduna, 
Kano, Katsina and Bauchi states over the period of March 20 
to 30, meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (where 
possible), NGOs, local media, and other stakeholders in the 
elections process.  With only two weeks to elections, our 
Poloffs found local INEC officers to be ill-prepared and 
disorganized -- and occasionally just delusional.  INEC 
headquarters in Abuja announced on March 29 that all Resident 
Electoral Commissioners and their Administrative Secretaries 
(deputies) would be separated and reshuffled to other states. 
 NGOs and Media representatives were in general agreement 
that the preparations to date are inadequate, though there 
was a mix of opinions on how they measure up to 2003 
preparations.  One NGO reported being visited by the security 
services and asked about funding sources in order to 
"determine eligibility to observe the elections."  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Poloffs visited INEC in Enugu, Anambra, Bauchi, 
Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states, at times meeting with 
officials and other times being denied meetings but viewing 
the offices.  No INEC office would provide us a list of 
polling stations or a complete voter registry and several 
commented they were awaiting this information from Abuja. 
When Poloffs were able to view a portion of the voters 
registry, they noted large numbers of incomplete 
registrations and/or underage registrants.  Our Poloff in 
Kano was shown a direct data capture machine by INEC 
officials, but the officials were unable to operate the 
machine when asked about its use.  INEC officials in Katsina 
and Enugu admitted that they had not yet hired the requisite 
workers to man the polling stations and that training had not 
yet begun.  Enugu INEC Administrative Secretary told Poloff 
on March 29 that the local INEC office was just beginning to 
review applications in order to hire the 9000 ad hoc staff 
the state would need for the elections.  INEC officials 
admitted they have not received ballots nor seen samples. 
Despite the absence of complete voters and polling station 
lists, lack of ballots, failure to hire and train requisite 
staff and general disorganizaton viewed at each INEC office, 
we heard without fail that everything is on track and even 
ahead of schedule. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In the courtyard outside the Anambra state INEC 
office, our Poloff observed approximately 50 metallic 
briefcase-style boxes for direct-data capture machines 
sitting in the direct sun in 95 degree heat.  (Note: we 
cannot verify whether or not DDC machines were indeed inside 
the boxes.)  The courtyard was also strewn with files boxes 
of miscellaneous papers.  In Katsina, which is the home state 
of both Yar'Adua and Buhari and is billing itself as a 
showcase state, Poloff was shown clear plastic bags that will 
be used to transport the completed ballots.  INEC officers 
claimed the bags had "secret Israeli-manufactured satellite 
chips" imbedded in them which would allow them to be tracked 
via GPS on the internet, thereby reducing fraud.  (COMMENT. 
The officials could not point out where these chips were 
embedded in the clear plastic and the bags appeared to be no 
more than regular plastic bags.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) In Bauchi, media and NGOs told Poloff they expect 
trouble with the voter registry on polling day.  An estimated 
80 percent of registrants in Bauchi were given no receipt or 
card and only verbally told their registration number (which 
serves as proof of registration).  Several stakeholders 
reported preparations in Bauchi State are worse than in 2003, 
with one media representative noting an increase in violence 
as well.  NGOs in Bauchi and Kaduna reported visits by the 
security services.  Despite the lack of an observer 
accreditation process, officers reportedly asked the Bauchi 
NGO about the organization's activities and funding sources 
to "determine eligibility for observing."  Individuals in 
Kano reported first-hand knowledge that INEC is still 
changing the names of Senatorial candidates in Jigawa State. 
CAMPBELL