ILC BALLOT BID FOR NIGERIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL AND

UNCLAS ABUJA 002685 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF AND IO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM NI UN SUBJECT: ILC BALLOT BID FOR NIGERIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE CHIEF BOLA IGE ¶1. This is an action request for IO and AF: see para 5. ¶2. During an October 16 meeting with Nigeria's Attorney General and Minister of Justice Bola Ige, the Ambassador learned that Nigeria had nominated Ige for a seat on the International Law Commission (ILC) and has been lobbying for his candidacy for several months. ¶3. Ige, 71, has been Attorney General and Minister of Justice since June 2000. He has held numerous judicial and political offices in his career, including Governor of Oyo State (1979),Minister of Power and Steel in the current government, and several commissioner positions in the now-defunct Western state (1960s-70s). A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),he has practiced law widely throughout Nigeria. He holds a leading member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD)- one of Nigeria's three political parties - and is the deputy leader of "Afenifere," the Pan-Yoruba cultural association. Though formally a member of the opposition, he is close to resident Obasanjo whme he has know since the 1960s. ¶4. The Mission deals with Ige on a wide array of law enforcement and judicial issues. We find him to be one of our most capable and impressive interlocutors. Ige is highly and broadly respected here. We recommend the USG support his candidacy for the ILC. If the USG can vote for him in the upcoming November 8 election at the UNGA, we should. We strongly endorse him based on his qualifications, influence and character. ¶5. Action request for IO and AF: Please advise USG position on Ige's candidacy. End action request. Jeter