VZCZCXRO9942
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHOS #0092/01 0700636
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100636Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL LAGOS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9794
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9520
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0121
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEOMFD/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA 
ENERGY FOR PERSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: PDP CONGRESSES, CLASHES LAY GROUND FOR 
NATIONAL CONVENTION 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: People's Democratic Party (PDP) state 
congresses held February 28 throughout the south reflect the 
fractured nature of the party. Party factions in Oyo, Enugu, 
and Anambra states held parallel congresses in defiance of 
court injunctions. The congresses in Edo and Bayelsa states 
worsened divisions within the party; conversely, the Delta 
state selection of consensus candidates ended months of 
intra-party fighting.  It is unclear whether the national 
convention March 8 in Abuja will be an anarchic free-for-all 
involving rival state delegations, or whether back-room deals 
will be struck in advance.  Also uncertain is the extent to 
which the party leadership elections will be open and fairly 
contested. End Summary. 
 
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Southwest: Oyo State Under Godfather's Sway 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Thousands of PDP members, including Oyo State 
Governor Alao-Akala and Oyo godfather Lamidi Adedibu, held 
their state congress on Feb 28 in Ibadan and selected a 
pre-ordained slate of delegates.  The congress was held in 
defiance of a February 26 State High Court order barring the 
congress pending determination of whether the consensus 
candidate selection is allowed by the party's constitution. 
This selection requires that all party members agree on the 
candidate's qualification for the position, rather than 
awarding the candidacy to the person with the majority of 
votes.  Several PDP faction leaders reported they were 
attacked by hoodlums sent by Adedibu and Akala, a claim which 
the police are investigating. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Southeast: Anambra's Uba Faction Defies Court Order 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Supporters of Enugu Governor Sullivan Chime and 
those of his former political godfather, immediate past 
Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, held two separate party 
congresses.  PDP National Secretary Bernard Eze approved 
Nnamani's congress, and even directed PDP monitors from Abuja 
to participate in it; one of these, however, declined and 
instead monitored Chime's congress.  The majority of federal 
legislators from Enugu participated in Nnamani's congress as 
well. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Supporters of Chime and Nnamani also clashed March 
3rd at the PDP National Secretariat in 
Abuja.  Nnamani,s supporters held a rally outside PDP 
national headquarters in support of Nnamani's pick for State 
Chairman Ray Nnaji, and the PDP National Secretary Chief 
Bernard Ezeh.  According to witnesses, after thirty minutes, 
Chime loyalists arrived at 10:00 AM in ten fully loaded 
22-seat buses and attacked the Nnamani faction, seizing their 
placards and chasing them away, but not before two of Ezeh,s 
aides wre beaten up.  The assembled youths then attempted to 
pull down the gate to the National Secretariat, but were 
prevented from doing so by security agents.  They then 
proceeded to barricade the entrance to the complex so that 
party officials could neither enter nor escape.  The group 
disbanded only after 
former Enugu state party chairman Chief Onyioha Nwanjoku 
appealed for calm. According to press reports, the melee 
blocked roads leading to the PDP National Secretariat as well 
as the neighboring high court and Federal Inland Revenue 
Service for hours. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Of two PDP factions in Anambra state, only one, led 
by former governorship candidate Andy Uba, a confidante of 
former President Obasanjo, held a congress.  The other 
faction, led by State Party Chairman Tony Nwoye, complied 
with a state court order barring the state's party congresses 
on the grounds that the PDP may not have followed its own 
bylaws in conducting recent ward and local congresses. 
Despite the court injunction, party headquarters still sent 
officials, including Independent National Electoral 
Commission (INEC) officials led by Commissioner Mike Nwuneli, 
to monitor the Uba faction's congress. 
 
LAGOS 00000092  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
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South South: Delta State Achieves Consensus 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Edo congress pitched Governor Osunbor and former 
Governor Samuel Ogbemudia's faction against a faction headed 
by Tony Anenih, former PDP Board of Trustees chairman. 
Although both factions claimed legitimacy, Abuja election 
monitors observed Governor Osunbor's faction.  Members of the 
State House of Assembly, unhappy with the state of affairs 
within the PDP, boycotted both congresses. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The two factions of the Bayelsa PDP fractured over 
the question of whether to hold elections or retain all 
incumbents in order to promote peace and unity among the 
party.  The party deputy chairman called for elections on 
grounds of party unity; a caucus including Vice President 
Goodluck Jonathan wanted to return incumbents. According to 
press reports, on March 4 armed thugs at the Bayelsa State 
PDP Secretariat invaded party headquarters over the State 
Working Committee,s suspension of various party members, 
including the newly elected State Chairman, the Speaker of 
the Bayelsa State House of Representatives, and several other 
members of the state House of Assembly. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The Delta State congress, atypically, may have 
resolved an internal state party rift; all 29 members of the 
executive council were selected by consensus.  Governor 
Uduaghan attributed the ability to reach consensus to 
intensive meetings held in advance of the congress to resolve 
party leaders' issues, stated media reports. 
 
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Comment 
-------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The PDP national convention is scheduled for March 
8, though a lawsuit filed by disaffected members of the party 
alleging lack of due process could still cause its 
postponement.  The court is scheduled to rule Friday March 
7th, the day before the convention is scheduled to take 
place.  It is unclear whether the PDP national convention in 
Abuja will be an anarchic free-for-all involving multiple, 
competing delegations jostling to represent certain states at 
the convention, or whether back-room deals will be struck in 
advance to unify state representation.  Also uncertain is the 
extent to which the PDP leadership will be openly and fairly 
elected.  If the past is an example, there will probably be a 
selection, rather than election, of the party's new leaders. 
The winners will be chosen in backroom deals on the margins 
of the conference and then "ratified" at the convention. 
 
 
This message has been cleared by Embassy Abuja. 
BLAIR