JUDGMENT OF YOLA -- PDP GOVERNOR'S ELECTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000539 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM NI SUBJECT: JUDGMENT OF YOLA -- PDP GOVERNOR'S ELECTION NULLIFIED REF: A. ABUJA 523 ¶B. ABUJA 519 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE INTERNET OR INTRANET. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) An election tribunal on March 24 nullified the election of PDP Governor Bonie Haruna, VP Atiku's protege, in Atiku's home Adamawa state. The judgment delivered in Yola amidst tight security and police intimidation was a unanimous decision of the five-judge panel that the April 19, 2003 election in Adamawa was marred by irregularities and that INEC had not complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The tribunal ordered fresh elections in fourteen local government areas while accepting the results in four others that ANPP candidate Modibbo did not dispute, and did not say the ANPP had won the 2003 election. The PDP has not tipped its hand whether it will appeal the Yola decision. Nevertheless, the ANPP gained new hope for the similar suit of its losing presidential candidate Buhari against the elections for President/VP held with the gubernatorial elections on the same day, April 19, across Nigeria (Ref A). The ruling could also add more tension to Nigeria's March 27 Local Government Area elections (Ref B),which in most places will be contested by the PDP and ANPP. End Summary. -------------- LAYING DOWN THE LAW -------------- ¶2. (U) Justice Zanna Kashim, at the head of a reconstituted Elections Tribunal for Adamawa State, on 24 March nullified the election of Bonie Haruna. Security measures taken by the Government prior to the judgment had created fear and tension among the Adamawa's citizens that the court's decision would be rigged. Kashim surprised them, delivering a unanimous tribunal decision that also accused the "government-controlled INEC" and others of failing to impartially conduct the election. ¶3. (U) The trial session was initially scheduled for 8am. By 7, hundreds of ANPP supporters had assembled at the courtroom. Police dispersed the crowd with sporadic gunshots in the air. The police commissioner, Hafiz Ringim summoned the ANPP petitioner Adamu Modibbo to tell him the judgment would be rendered at 2:00 instead, and tell Modibbo to return to the police station for an escort to the court. He also told Modibbo that only twenty ANPP supporters would be allowed into the court to witness the decision. But by the time Moddibo and his Ringim-led convoy arrived at the hall, the place was packed with his supporters. Moddibo had to come out of his vehicle to address supporters who refused to leave the scene and were already throwing "pure water" bags at the building. -------------- REACTIONS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Speaking with confidence and clarity in spite of the absence of a microphone, Kashim's judgment was sprinkled with legal terms, articulate logic and a strong sense of humor that kept his audience spellbound for the four hours it took to read the decision. As Kashim read the judgment, his words sparked spontaneous cheers and jubilation in the courtroom. Modibbo's supporters mobbed his house afterwards, congratulating him and praising "God for the victory". An obviously elated Modibbo told PolSpecialist "We have always maintained that these people (PDP) cannot win elections in a free and fair contest, only by rigging; this judgment shows that some conscientious judges remain in the judiciary in spite of public cynicism." When reminded that Governor Haruna can appeal against the judgment, Modibbo responded confidently, "If they like, they can go the International Court of Justice; as long as the court would fairly listen to own side of the story, they cannot triumph!" ¶5. (U) Governor Haruna made a broadcast to the state on the morning of March 25 that he was still the chief executive governor, regardless of the previous day's verdict. Describing the verdict as "unfair," Haruna highlighted his options of appealing against the judgment, or complying with it and contesting new elections. "My party and the Government are analyzing the two options; we shall dutifully inform you of our stand whenever we reach our conclusion," Haruna said. He then went on to accuse the opposition of "plotting to destabilize the peaceful co-existence" of Adamawa. ¶6. (U) The police in Yola reportedly fired tear-gas canisters and beat people with batons who assembled to stage a public rally on March 25 in support of the judgment and Modibbo. -------------- THE JUDGMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Justice Kashim apologized that he could not bring copies of the judgment but promised to make it available within a few days. In his reading, Kashim said that the petitioner had challenged the election on two grounds: electoral malpractices and noncompliance with the Electoral Law. "The petitioner has sufficiently proved his case beyond reasonable doubt." Kashim noted that that the petitioner had brought before the tribunal oral and documentary evidence to prove the allegations against Bonie Haruna and the "Independent National Electoral Commission" (INEC),and Haruna and INEC had not rebutted them. (NOTE: A source close to the tribunal told PolSpecialist that 776 documentary exhibits were tendered and admitted.) Kashim said most of the defense testimony lacked merit and in many cases was contradictory. After careful examination of all the evidence and oral testimonies, the tribunal was convinced that "the first respondent (Governor Haruna) as declared by the second respondent (INEC) was not validly elected and his election is hereby nullified." ¶8. (U) Kashim quoted extensively from the Electoral Act in supporting the claims of the petitioner that provisions of the Act were not applied during the elections. The problems highlighted included voter intimidation, non-compliance with INEC's own electoral guidelines, and denial of the opportunity to eligible voters to cast ballots. Justice Kashim said "glaring alterations, mutilation and cancellations" of registration cards were made by INEC officials "to confer undue advantage" to Haruna. ¶9. (U) The tribunal discovered many polling stations where there was one hundred percent turnout or more, and Justice Kashim emphasized that "it does not take a mathematical genius" to know that most of the figures were wrong. He cited an example of one ward where 100 percent turnout was recorded, including a legislator, Alexander Chom, who was well known to have died before the election. One witness had told the tribunal "I had to exhaust the registration cards given me because the person who gave me the job instructed me to do so." Kashim said the Electoral Act states "Where the votes cast at an election in any Constituency or Polling Station exceed the number of registered voters in that Constituency or Polling Station, the election for that Constituency or Polling Station shall be declared null and void by the Commission (INEC) and another election shall be conducted at a date to be fixed by the Commission." By their ruling, the tribunal has ordered INEC to set a new election. ¶10. (U) Kashim also said that Modibbo had proved that some INEC employees were Haruna's supporters and card-carrying PDP members, when the Electoral Act does not allow supporters or members of parties contesting the elections to work the elections for INEC. Kashim cited the attendance records submitted by Modibbo for the "Bonie Solidarity Group," Haruna's re-election committee, and the INEC assignment sheets for the elections carrying the same names. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Although the judgment can be appealed, its timing was bad for the ruling PDP. Thousands of Local Government Area (LGA) seats are up for election March 27 across the country, and ANPP candidate Buhari's suit against President Obasanjo's election is still in court. The national President/VP/Governor elections were held together on April 19, 2003. While the tribunal did not specify that the presidential election was invalid in Adamawa, it and the gubernatorial race were assumedly subject to the same "malpractices and non-compliance" that day. The Adamawa tribunal's emboldening the opposition will raise the potential for clashes in the runup and aftermath of LGA elections this Saturday, whether the ruling PDP appeals the tribunal's decision or not. The tribunal's decision against his protege may also weaken VP Atiku against his rivals inside as well as outside the ruling PDP. ROBERTS