Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUJA457
2003-03-10 06:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

POSSIBLE CONFLICT OVER BUHARI'S CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING

Tags:  PGOV ASEC KDEM NI 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000457 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2013
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM NI
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE CONFLICT OVER BUHARI'S CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING


REF: ABUJA 0448


Classified by DCM T.D. Andrews. Reasons 1.5 (B & D).


C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 000457

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2013
TAGS: PGOV ASEC KDEM NI
SUBJECT: POSSIBLE CONFLICT OVER BUHARI'S CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING


REF: ABUJA 0448


Classified by DCM T.D. Andrews. Reasons 1.5 (B & D).



1. (C) According to retired Air Vice Marshal Moukhtar
Mohammed, one of the close advisers to ANPP Presidential
Candidate Muhammadu Buhari, Buhari plans go ahead with the
launching of his campaign in Port Harcourt on March 8. The
campaign team plans to travel to the area with the body of
Marshall Harry, his murdered campaign coordinator for the
south-south zone (Reftel). The campaign also hopes to hold
a special mass in Odi, the site of the 2001 massacre of
civilians by Nigerian military forces, to commemorate
Harry's life and to remember the victims of the attack on
the village. "It is tragic, and most of us are shaken up,
but it is more important now than ever to advance Buhari's
campaign," Moukhtar told Poloff.



2. (C) According to a source in the Presidency, at least
a thousand soldiers have been deployed to Port Harcourt to
help stem any outbreak of violence there in the aftermath
of Harry's death. Additionally, he stated, Rivers State
Governor Peter Odili has contacted the Presidency to urge
Obasanjo to cancel Buhari's rally in the area due to
"security concerns."



3. (C) COMMENT: Harry's death in close proximity to
Buhari's official campaign starting could serve to inflame
an already uneasy electorate. From what it appears, the
Buhari campaign will exploit Harry's exit for all it is
worth. They hope it will energize what has been a
heretofore lackluster, informal campaign and also open a
door for Buhari to appeal to voters in the important South-
South region. This weekend, there may be a potential
confrontation over campaign rallies. Buhari, with too much
to gain from staging the rally, and Odili (and by
extension, Obasanjo) with much to lose if the memory of
Marshall Harry does not fade away quickly, could be headed
for a showdown over the weekend. If so, this will rachet
up tensions significantly as Nigeria head into the last
month before elections.
JETER