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PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #1287/01 1851038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031038Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3284
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 9533
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001287 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KDEM OREP NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CODEL BERMAN VISITS HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES 
 
REF: ABUJA 0077 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 28, a CODEL, led by House Foreign 
Affairs Committee (HFAC) Chairman Howard Berman and the 
Ambassador visited the Nigerian National Assembly to meet 
with members of the Nigerian House of Representatives. 
Discussions included the progress and challenges of electoral 
reform, growing concern over the Niger Delta, the removal of 
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Nuhu 
Ribadu (ref A), and misperceptions about AFRICOM.  The 
Nigerian Representatives asked for additional legislative 
capacity-building assistance, as well as the opportunity to 
be considered for a House Democracy Assistance Commission 
(HDAC) program.  CODEL addressed continued US concerns over 
EFCC, and worries on the need to have more stakeholder input 
on Niger Delta.  Ambassador pushed back on National Assembly 
negativity on AFRICOM.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ELECTORAL REFORM 
---------------- 
¶2. (SBU) In response to HFAC Chairman Berman's inquiry about 
electoral reform progress, Representative Habeeb Adekunle 
Fasinro, Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Matters, said 
the National Assembly is looking carefully at the electoral 
laws, which, though created with good intentions, are at 
times deficient or impractical.  Fasinro praised President 
Yar'Adua for creating the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) 
which is to compile a report on the 2007 elections and make 
recommendations on reforming the electoral system.  However, 
Fasinro noted that whatever recommendations the ERC proposes 
will ultimately require the National Assembly to enact them 
into law.  Fasinro also praised the judiciary.  He pointed 
out that election tribunals have overturned some elections, 
upheld others, and ordered new polls in some cases, all of 
which, he maintained, should reassure the Nigerian people and 
the USG of judicial independence.  Fasinro acknowledged that 
having so many legislators still in limbo one year after the 
election was a challenge.  Those still awaiting a verdict are 
continuously distracted, making it difficult to get work 
done.  Fasinro concluded by highlighting the electoral reform 
component of the Assembly's Constitutional Review, which he 
noted legislators are taking very seriously. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Minority Whip Olufemi Gbajabiamila, noted that 
making the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 
truly independent, and with a Chairman who is not beholden to 
whomever appoints him, were keys to successful electoral 
reform.  Fasinro added that the INEC Chair is the first 
person who should be "sacked" whenever elections appear 
fraudulent, to which Gbajabiamila added that leaving the same 
flawed INEC team in charge of the rerun elections is 
pointless.  Fasinro also highlighted the importance of 
internal party democracy, noting that when the process is 
ignored or circumvented people leave to create additional 
parties; there is even a risk of violence. 
 
NIGER DELTA 
----------- 
¶4. (SBU) Rep. George Miller raised the international 
community's growing concern over the Niger Delta situation, 
noting the worldwide repercussions of the increased 
lawlessness and cessation of oil production.  In response, 
Gbenga Oduwaiye, Chairman of the Nigerian House Committee on 
Foreign Affairs, assured the CODEL that the GON is "as 
worried" as the USG about the situation.  Oduwaiye maintained 
that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan's effort to broker a 
deal is making progress, and added that the initiative for 
the proposed Niger Delta Summit actually started with the 
National Assembly.  Oduwaiye commended Jonathan for 
differentiating between the people who are suffering in the 
Delta and the criminals supposedly fighting for the people. 
Rep. Ed Royce compared the situation to Chicago in the 
1930's, and suggested that in such a situation, the federal 
government must step in to restore law and order, eliminate 
weapons and strengthening economic growth.  Gbajabiamila 
agreed with Royce, but countered that the situation in the 
Niger Delta is different than that of Chicago, in that the 
people in the Delta truly believe they are fighting for a 
cause, which is more difficult to suppress.  Fasinro added 
that high energy prices are an additional concern and claimed 
 
ABUJA 00001287  002 OF 003 
 
 
that Nigeria is losing approximately 400,000 - 500,000 
barrels of crude oil a day due to criminality in the Niger 
Delta. 
 
EFCC 
---- 
¶5. (SBU) Congressman Donald Payne inquired about the GON's 
commitment to transparency, sharing his disappointment with 
the removal of EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, who had traveled to 
the U.S. to testify before Congress about alleged corruption. 
 Payne relayed the general perception that Ribadu was removed 
just as he was beginning to make progress on reforms and 
investigations into corruption.  Fasinro replied that the GON 
did not handle the situation of Ribadu's removal well with 
regard to international and public opinion, but reminded the 
CODEL of the importance of supporting institutions rather 
than individual leaders, as the USG had done with Ribadu.  He 
then noted GON sovereignty to put in place whomever the 
President appointed, but restated that the Ribadu issue was 
badly handled. 
 
AFRICOM 
------- 
¶6. (SBU) Umar M. Bature, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on 
Defense, shared his opposition to AFRICOM, sharing his 
impression that it was the USG's attempt to militarize Africa 
in the name of combating terrorism.  The Ambassador chimed in 
to clear up his misperceptions about AFRICOM, stressing that 
it was only an attempt to make our existing military 
cooperation with the continent more efficient, not militarize 
Africa.  She stressed that press claims about creating a US 
military base in Africa were simply false.  Oduwaiye said the 
biggest challenge the USG has in terms of AFRICOM is selling 
it to Africa.  He agreed that people, including according to 
his estimates more than 85% of the legislators in the current 
National Assembly, misunderstand what AFRICOM is.  He 
strongly urged the USG to be proactive in sharing information 
on such issues with parliamentarians, so as to avoid 
confusion. In turn, Bature urged the USG to build a closer 
bilateral military relationship with Nigeria, noting that 
Nigeria has the potential to be the USG's strongest partner 
in Africa. 
 
ASSISTANCE 
---------- 
¶7. (SBU) Chief Whip Nkem Ihedioha noted that "support to 
Nigeria is support to Africa," and requested additional 
capacity building assistance for the National Assembly. 
Ihedioha also asked that Nigeria be considered for a U.S. 
House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) program. 
Chairman Berman agreed that it would be beneficial to both 
U.S. and Nigerian legislatures and said he would bring the 
request back to the members of HDAC. 
 
PARTICIPANTS 
------------ 
¶8. (U) GON Participants: 
-- Rep. Nkem Ihedioha, Chief Whip 
-- Rep. Olufemi Gbajabiamila, Minority Whip 
-- Rep. Gbenga Oduwaiye, Chairman, Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
-- Rep. Habeeb Adekunle Fasinro, Chairman, Committee on 
Electoral Matters 
-- Rep. Umar M. Bature, Deputy Chairman, Committee on Defense 
-- Maurice Ekpenyong, Professional Staff Member, Office of 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
-- Peter Peter, Protocol Officer for the Office of the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives 
-- Umar Kamba, Protocol Officer for the Office of the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives 
 
¶9. (U) USG Participants: 
-- Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman, Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
-- Congressman George Miller, Chairman, House Education and 
Labor Committee 
-- Congressman Ed Royce, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on 
Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade 
-- Congressman Tom Davis, Ranking Member, Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform 
 
ABUJA 00001287  003 OF 003 
 
 
-- Congressman Donald Payne, Chairman, Subcommittee on Africa 
and Global Health 
-- Congresswoman, Linda Sanchez, Member, Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
-- Bob King, Staff Director, House Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
-- Pearl-Alice Marsh, PSM, House Committee on Foreign Affairs 
-- Tom Sheehy, PSM, House Committee on Foreign Affairs 
-- Doug Campbell, PSM House Committee on Foreign Affairs 
-- Colonel Michael Fleck 
-- Colonel Ceasar Junker 
-- Mrs. Jeanne Marie Davis 
-- Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders 
-- Terry Pflaumer, Political Counselor 
-- Nyree Tripptree 
 
¶10. (U) This message was cleared by CODEL Berman staff. 
SANDERS