SWING THROUGH THE EAST

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002154

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2013
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, NI
SUBJECT: SWING THROUGH THE EAST

REF: ABUJA 2080

CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASON 1.5 D.

1. (U) SUMMARY: Poloff took quick three-day swing through
eastern Nigeria's Delta, Anambra and Enugu States December
4-6 to attend the funeral of Embassy contact and ANPP Vice
Presidential candidate Chuba Okadigbo. Throughout the area
there was a massive security presence, which contrasted
sharply with the lack of infrastructure. The mood was black,
and not only at the funeral. End Summary.

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DELTA STATE
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2. (U) Roaming the streets of Asaba, capital of Delta state,
most people were happy to see an outside visitor. Claiming
that Asaba was safe, "not like Warri," they still said that
people avoided evening activities due to "security problems."
No one on the street claimed to have voted for Governor
Ibori, and most laughed when asked about his performance to
date. On his "peace program" for the Delta, most residents
of his capital scoffed. The common response was that Ibori
was only interested in his "oil money" and would continue to
do little for the state. Poloff stayed in a newly opened
hotel in Asaba. The manager, a former resident of Houston,
Texas, said that the hotel was a "family business" owned by
one of Ibori,s state commissioners.

3. (C) AD gubernatorial candidate Great Ogboro expressed
great concern about conditions in Nigeria, but was hopeful
that his case at the election tribunal would provide a
platform for the "principled opposition" to begin taking back
the country from what he termed "Obasanjo,s lackeys."
Ogboro said that security outside of Asaba in Delta State
remained poor and that it is only a matter of time before
violence turned the "low-intensity" skirmishes going on now
into widespread fighting throughout the southern part of the
state. Another AD supporter told Poloff that his party
remained strong in the state and that the prospects of Ogboro
returning to the tribunal were "keeping a lid" on the
violence. He claimed that a state-wide AD planning session
held December 4 in Ishaka drew "hundreds" of activists from
around the state. "We are ready to fight the government, but
will wait for the legal avenues" to be exhausted, he said.
Defections from PDP to AD continue in Delta State, and many
people support APGA presidential candidate Ojukwu.

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ANAMBRA STATE
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4. (U) Visiting Anambra state, Poloff observed even more
deterioration in the already rare infrastructure. Anambra,
created from the old Anambra state (which included Bayelsa,
Enugu and Anambra) was forced to develop a new capital and
inherited little infrastructure from the old state.

5. (U) Okadigbo was buried in Ogunkide village in Anambra,
just off the main east-west highway. The town, marked by
dusty roads, was interspersed with deteriorating schools and
large houses belonging to successful local businessmen. The
ceremony for Okadigbo was attended by massive numbers of
security personnel, perhaps up to five hundred scattered
about the village. At least twenty National Assembly members
attended the Friday session of the multi-day ceremony,
showing solidarity with Okadigbo in death even as many of
them had abandoned him in political life. Local residents
were still angry about his death. Many complained about
President Obasanjo and Senate President Wabara ("he doesn,t
listen to us"),and there was no love for Governor Ngige or
political kingpin Ubah either.

6. (C) PDP members told Poloff that unknown assailants
continue to disrupt political meetings from the competing
factions of PDP, but virtually all residents expressed
respect and support for APGA presidential candidate (and
former Biafran leader) Ojukwu.

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ENUGU STATE
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7. (C) Contacts in Enugu said Governor Nnamani was busy on
the lecture circuit (in support of his VP hopes?) and almost
never in the state. A curfew is still partially enforced and
Enugu swarms with security. Business is down and many
residents were angry about the arrest of Dr. Okwesilieze
Nwodo, the younger brother of John Nwodo another Igbo
presidential aspirant for 2007, in the recent ID card project
scandal (reftel). Many claimed he had been held for days
without access to attorney or family and had refused food
from his jailers for fear of being poisoned. "Why arrest him
when Obasanjo,s daughter owns the company running the ID
program," was a common refrain.
8. (C) Despair about the economy and lack of infrastructure
were as common in Enugu as in Anambra and Delta States.
Support for Ojukwu was also common among people Poloff talked
to from all parties -- an enduring legacy of Biafra.
MEECE