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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7758
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS PRIORITY 2496
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RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002260 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y - Paragraph markings and caption 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, DRL, INR/AA; 
USAID FOR AFR/WA (DALZOUMA) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EFIN ECON NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN NUGGETS -- DECEMBER 11, 2009 
 
REF: ABUJA 2198 AND PREVIOUS 
 
ABUJA 00002260  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Mission Nigeria provides the following compilation of 
recent political, economic, and social developments not 
previously reported. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
PDP POLITICIANS NABBED IN EDO BY-ELECTION 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Edo State politicians and local citizens caught 
Senator Gbenga Oguniya and two federal legislators, from the 
ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), in the act of 
stealing and stuffing ballot boxes during the December 5 
by-election to fill a House of Representatives seat in Ondo 
State's Akoko South West-South East federal constituency. 
Oguniya, accompanied by thugs posing as police officers, 
sought to intimidate voters and conduct "private in-house 
voting" where PDP partisans would stuff ballot boxes with 
illegitimate votes, according to Embassy contacts and the 
press.  Police temporarily detained the PDP legislators after 
an angry crowd appeared.  Jonathan Mark, the son of Senate 
President David Mark (PDP), initially confirmed to PolOff 
December 7 the Senator's detention by police.  Presidential 
Special Advisor for Civil Society Relations Chineme 
Ume-Ezeoke lamented the incident to PolCouns and PolMil 
Specialist December 8, describing it as "law-maker turned 
law-breaker."  He added that "every family has its Judas." 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) 
acted quickly by rejecting 4,093 illegitimate votes in the 
election, which opposition Labor Party candidate Debo 
Ologunagba won with 18,155 votes, followed by PDP candidate 
Jimmy Adedapo with 9,960 votes, and Action Congress candidate 
Tunde Eniola with 730 votes. 
 
-------------------------------- 
INEC-APPOINTED BOARD FOR ANAMBRA 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) INEC appointed a ten-member Election Monitoring and 
Observation Board for the February 6, 2010, Anambra 
gubernatorial election, according to December 8 media 
reports.  The advisory board will reportedly identify issues 
affecting the conduct and credibility of the electoral 
process and propose actions to INEC on institutional, 
procedural, and other issues to improve the electoral 
process.  Some board members include avowed critics of INEC, 
both as an institution and in the quality of its leadership. 
Some pushed for electoral reforms and even called for the 
Chairperson's resignation after the 2007 elections.  This is 
the first time that INEC has appointed a monitoring and 
observation board for an election. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
BAFARAWA ARRESTED AT "MEGA" PARTY MEETING 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 
officials arrested former Sokoto Governor Attahiru Dalhatu 
Bafarawa December 9 for alleged embezzlement of state funds 
while attending a National Democratic Movement (NDM) meeting 
to plan a "mega" opposition party.  Speaking to PolOff within 
an hour of the arrest, Buhari Campaign Organizer Buba 
Galadima criticized Bafarawa's arrest as the latest example 
of Nigerian Government (GON) intimidation of the opposition 
and an attempt at "poaching its membership."  Similarly, 
Publicity Director Hamisu Santuraki publicly characterized 
the arrest as "intended to create jitters in the growing camp 
Qthe arrest as "intended to create jitters in the growing camp 
of those calling for genuine and legitimate change in the 
country." 
 
¶6. (SBU) Former Governor Bafarawa told PolCouns and PolSpec 
October 27 that he possessed documents proving that he had 
left a sizable treasury surplus -- 11.8 billion naira (about 
80 million U.S. dollars) -- for his successor in the Sokoto 
statehouse in 2007.  At the time, he described the 
allegations against him as untrue and part of a political 
vendetta by current Sokoto Governor Aliyu Wamakko of the 
ruling PDP.  He noted EFCC attempts to intimidate him by 
holding him for questioning and retaining his passport to 
restrict his travels.  He noted that he had obtained a court 
order to force EFCC officials to return his passport. 
 
 
ABUJA 00002260  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
------------------------------------ 
GON COMMITTED TO ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Nigerian Government plans to retain a 
newly-instituted system of electronic payments, according to 
the December 9 edition of "This Day."  Rumors had circulated 
that GON officials would revert to using checks and cash to 
pay for public services because of delays in payments caused 
by the new system, which has elicited criticism in some 
quarters since its introduction earlier this year to reduce 
theft of funds earmarked for salaries, contract payments, and 
other public services.  Presidential Advisor for Relations 
with Civil Society Ume-Ezeoke cited this system to PolCouns 
and PolMil Specialist December 8 as a measure the GON had 
instituted to curb corruption by replacing cash payments, 
susceptible to inclusion of bribes, with electronic ones. 
Separately, Petroleum Ministry Resources Chief Don Etiebet 
acknowledged to ConGen Officer that the new system needed 
safeguards to ensure integrity of the transmitted data and 
the credibility of persons implementing the payments. 
 
---------------------------- 
HOUSE TAKES UP BIOSAFETY LAW 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The House of Representatives Agriculture Committee 
convened a public hearing December 9 on a draft biosafety 
bill to discuss shortcomings and possible solutions. 
Suggestions included empowering the Consumer Protection 
Council to protect the public from any adverse effects of 
genetically modified organisms, training lawyers on the 
biosafety legislation provisions after approval, 
incorporating penalties for improper application of a 
biotechnology license, incorporating safety recommendations 
from the Ministry of Health, and authorizing the 
Biotechnology Development Agency to enforce the bill rather 
than creating a new entity to do so.  The Committee planned 
to deliberate on these recommendations and forward the bill 
to the House for its consideration in early 2010. 
 
---------------------------------- 
MISSION WORLD AIDS DAY HEALTH FAIR 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) The Embassy's PEPFAR Office and Health Unit held a 
Mission World AIDS Day Health Fair at the Chancery December 9 
to sensitize all Mission community members on HIV prevention, 
income generation for women, clean water for health, and 
nutrition for People Living With HIV-AIDS.  About ten PEPFAR 
implementing partners participated, showcasing their programs 
and selling medical commodities, including 
insecticide-treated bed nets  They provided various items 
free of charge, including water purification chemicals, 
nutritional supplements, and prophylactics.  The fair 
included a blood drive administered by the Nigerian National 
Blood Transfusion Service, which attracted over 20 donors. 
 
------------------ 
INFLUENZA WORKSHOP 
------------------ 
 
¶10. (U) The Africa Regional Office of the World Health 
Organization (WHO), with USAID support, recently organized a 
five-day workshop in Abuja to help countries develop 
Vaccination Deployment Plans.  Workshop organizers informed 
and described implementation and planning activities that 
each government can undertake to deliver the Pandemic 
Influenza A (H1N1) vaccine promptly, effectively, and 
efficiently to protect their citizens.  GON, WHO, and USAID 
Qefficiently to protect their citizens.  GON, WHO, and USAID 
officials developed a draft plan, which they presented during 
the workshop's plenary session. 
 
¶11. (U) Embassy Abuja and ConGen Lagos collaborated on this 
telegram. 
SANDERS