VZCZCXRO5078
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #0709/01 1041927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141927Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9181
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 0244
RUEHCD/AMCONSUL CIUDAD JUAREZ 0240
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 6596
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 SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000709 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM NI ELECTIONS
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS - SITREP 3 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 707 
     ¶B. ABUJA 708 
 
ABUJA 00000709  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The appointed hour for the close of polls has 
passed, but many polling stations remain open.  Throughout 
the country, the elections were delayed for a minimum of two 
hours and in some places polling did not begin until after 
1400 hrs., primarily due to absence of voting materials. 
INEC officials announced that polling hours would be 
extended, but the application of this depended on the poll 
workers at each location.  Mission has received reports from 
many locations throughout the nation that the ballots 
contained errors:  parties missing, disqualified candidates 
included, qualified candidates excluded and variable colors 
in the same polling unit for the same election.  For now, it 
is unclear what the reaction of Nigerians will be to the 
shortcomings of the elections, but it is obvious that, in 
terms of logistics, this election was no improvement over 
¶2003.  Levels of violence appear to be greater than in 2003. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  There follow reports from each of Nigeria's geographic 
regions.  It is too early to draw overall conclusions. 
 
NORTHWEST 
--------- 
 
¶3.  In the Northwest region, reports are mixed. 
Controversy abounds as to the validity of he electoral 
process.  In Katsina state, reports that virtually all the 
ballot boxes were delivered to local politicians before 
arriving at polling places pre-filled with ballots have upset 
most of the opposition politicians.  Governor Yar'adua (the 
PDP Presidential candidate) did not vote and speculation is 
whether it was for fear for his safety or for medical 
reasons.  In Sokoto state, very little violence has been 
reported.  Mission observers in Kano, though, had to return 
to their hotels before the counting began due to violence 
throughout the city. 
 
NORTH CENTRAL 
------------- 
 
¶4.  The Independent television network and political contacts 
report many instances of ballot boxes stolen by "thugs" in 
Kwara and Kogi states.  Mission observers either heard or 
observed similar cases in Benue and Plateau states. 
Elections ran smoothly in Suleja, a part of Niger state on 
the border with Abuja, according to Mission observers.  The 
level of tension does not appear as high in this region as in 
others. 
 
NORTHEAST 
--------- 
 
¶7.  In the Northeast, as in the Northwest, elections took 
place.  The quality of the election ran from passable in 
parts of Bauchi to confused or non-existent in parts of 
Adamawa.  IRI reports many instances of thugs in Gombe 
stealing ballot materials.  Similar incidents were reported 
in some parts of Bauchi and in Adamawa states as well. 
 
SOUTHEAST 
--------- 
 
¶8.  The Southeast saw an almost total breakdown of electoral 
activity.  According to IRI, elections in Imo state (the only 
state in this region that saw ballot materials in any 
abundance) were characterized by ballot stuffing, multiple 
voting and removal of boxes by unauthorized people.  In 
Anambra state, at least one half of the state sent voters 
home without voting and the other half was characterized by 
questionable practices.  In Enugu state, home of Senate 
President Ken Nnamani, voting materials were not delivered to 
locations in the city until after 1500 hrs., and in the 
outlying regions of the state, delivery did not take place 
until 1700 hrs.  Nnamani called on a postponement of the 
election in Enugu and other areas of the country where 
problems occurred (septel).  Voting was late and limited in 
Abia and Ebonyi, as well.  This region remains tense. 
 
 
ABUJA 00000709  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
SOUTH SOUTH 
----------- 
 
¶9.  In the South-South region, Edo state was the outstanding 
performer.  According to Mission observers, ballots were 
available, voting took place and the counting is proceeding 
without much problem.  In Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, 
as in 2003, no elections took place.  There was fighting 
among political partisans and security services throughout 
the area.  Many police stations and INEC offices were burnt. 
Observers for Human Rights Watch and local observers found no 
functioning polling places.  In Cross River state, where some 
type of election took place, IRI reports that the police and 
security agents were "encouraging" voters to mark their 
ballots for the ruling PDP. 
 
SOUTHWEST 
--------- 
 
¶10.  Like the Northwest, reports from this region are mixed. 
In Ekiti state, international observers say that elections 
were delayed and ballots and ballot boxes were stolen. 
Despite a late start and some incidents throughout the day, 
polling proceeded in most parts of Lagos state. 
 
¶11.  COMMENT:  For now, it is unclear what the reaction of 
Nigerians will be to the shortcomings of the elections, but 
it is obvious that, in terms of logistics, this election was 
no improvement over 2003.  The number of security incidents 
reported to Embassy also exceeds the 2003 benchmark.  It 
remains for the people of Nigeria to judge the validity of 
the April 14 polling. 
CAMPBELL