NIGERIA: INTEGRITY GROUP FOCUSES ON PDP, GODFATHERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002377 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: INTEGRITY GROUP FOCUSES ON PDP, GODFATHERS REF: ABUJA 2234 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Political Counselor Walter Pflaumer for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The Integrity Group (IG) plans to become dormant within the House of Representatives and promote House unity while working quietly within the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) in an attempt to rid Nigeria of the godfather politics that are the root of corruption and governance problems. The IG plans to expand its membership beyond the House to include Senate and non-National Assembly PDP members in the hope of influencing the January PDP convention to elect a Chairman democratically and on merit. Based on their success and strong support within the House, the IG may have a genuine impact on the status quo of Nigerian politics. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Poloffs met with Integrity Group Chairman Farouk Lawan (PDP, Kano State),former Speaker Pro-Tempore Terngu Tsegba (PDP, Benue State) and Representative Mercy Almona-Isei (PDP, Delta State) on November 7 to talk about IG plans following the resignation of former Speaker Patricia Etteh (PDP, Osun State). The three represent part of the IG's core leadership and are each senior members of the House, of which they have been members since 1999. PLANS WITHIN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES -------------- ¶3. (C) IG Chairman Lawan told Poloffs the IG plans to unite the entire House to push for internal democracy and decisions based on the merit of the arguments rather than the desires of a small group of political godfathers. Lawan said the IG will not form a standing organization, so as not to become a mere faction within the House. He pointed out that the mission for which the IG formed, namely removal of former Speaker Patricia Etteh, was now accomplished. In order to demonstrate the IG's commitment not to become a new power block, Lawan told Poloffs new Speaker Dimeji Bankole (PDP, Ogun State) will leave intact the committee membership and chairmanships, rather than carrying out a shakeup that would inevitably be seen as favoring its own members. He noted that only in a couple of instances where there was gross incompetence would any change be made to the status quo. The new focus of those who had formed the IG would now shift to supporting the leadership of the House in ensuring integrity 
and accountability in all matters of National Assembly business. Lawan told Poloffs that despite the IG's planned dormancy, they could be called into action again if necessary to defend due process and integrity in the House. ¶4. (C) Poloffs asked Lawan about allegations (later disproved) that Speaker Bankole had not completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) requirements. Lawan said whether Bankole had or had not completed NYSC service was not a matter for the IG and was something that Bankole himself would have to respond to. COMMENT. That Lawan was willing to let Bankole (whom he as IG Chairman had supported as the new Speaker) sink or swim based on his own actions with regard to the NYSC, and would refuse to take sides on the issue is a clear sign of a commitment to rule of law both from Lawan and the IG in general. END COMMENT. INTEGRITY GROUP SETS SIGHTS ON PDP CONVENTION -------------- ¶5. (C) Lawan told Poloffs that despite the IG's dormancy in the House, members of the group plan to engage like minds in the PDP to push for the fair election of party leaders at the upcoming January party convention. Their hope is to remove, or at least reduce the role of the godfathers who have controlled PDP politics (and, as a result, Nigerian politics),and to elect officers based on merit, as the IG members believe they did in electing Bankole as Speaker. Although the goal is to reduce the power of all godfathers, the three representatives made no secret that a corollary goal is to reduce Obasanjo's influence in PDP, and thereby national, politics. According to Lawan, 260 House members from the IG will participate in the PDP convention -- a substantial number, but not enough to swing the vote on their own. ¶6. (C) The IG does not currently have a favored candidate for ABUJA 00002377 002 OF 002 PDP Chairman. Lawan told Poloffs he and others in the group would engage all contestants and would likely come out in support of one candidate; however, the goal was not to install an IG candidate as such, but to ensure a fair vote based on merit. Lawan insisted the IG will encourage all credible party members to aspire for leadership positions and push for internal reform of the party. With regard to the candidacy of former Senate President Ken Nnamani, Lawan maintained he does not believe Nnamani will contest for the party Chairmanship. ZONING - POTENTIAL PROBLEM OR LIKELY TO PHASE OUT? -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) Poloffs asked whether the issue of "zoning" (Note: In the Nigerian political context, the term refers to the practice of balancing the allocation of key political offices to particular regions and states. End note) may come up as a problem at the PDP Convention because Speaker Bankole and PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman Obasanjo are both from Ogun State. Lawan replied, "that's for the PDP to sort out," there is no constitutional requirement that the Speaker position be zoned -- "the House is free to elect anyone." He added, smiling, that the PDP cannot remove the Speaker, but if they feel strongly about the zoning issue, perhaps the party could remove Obasanjo as the BOT Chairman. The BOT Chairman position, he noted, is also not zoned in the PDP constitution. Tsegba offered up that removing Obasanjo as BOT Chairman was on the minds of some members of the PDP National Executive Council (NEC). (NOTE: Tsegba is a member of the NEC.) He said there are significant calls within the NEC to amend the PDP Constitution to remove the clause requiring the BOT Chairman to be a former president elected on the PDP ticket (conditions only Obasanjo can meet). ¶8. (C) Lawan, Tsegba and Almona-Isei all believe the practice of zoning positions is nearing the end of its usefulness. They lamented that zoning restricts choice and prevents a meritocracy. Tsegba told Poloffs the House is on the right track to transition out of the zoning practice; however, this will take time. If meritocracy, competence, integrity and higher ethical standards are promoted, Tsegba opined, zoning will fizzle out on its own. WINDS OF CHANGE BLOWING? -------------- ¶9. (C) COMMENT. The members of the Integrity Group have clearly taken full advantage of the political space opened up by Yar'Adua's hands-off approach and commitment to separation of powers. The coalition brought about by the IG, which notably includes a majority of PDP members of the House, would simply not have been allowed to form under the Obasanjo administration. The emergence of an apparently democratic and forward thinking leadership in the House (and the internal power base to support it) bodes well for increased relevance and action from the legislative body. It also creates a precedent for positive change which could give impetus to change in other arenas. ¶10. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED. The January 5 PDP National Convention promises to be THE Nigerian political event to watch -- a battle for supremacy between Obasanjo, possibly challenged by former Military President Babangida, as well as these House members and others calling for due process and fair elections. Whether Yar'Adua will put a dog in this fight or demonstrate yet again his belief in a hands-off approach will add yet another wrinkle to the intrigues of the Convention. That the IG was able to attract such a significant number of PDP members into its fold within the House bodes well for its appeal to the broader PDP membership. The entrenched interests of the traditional godfathers of Nigerian politics will be a difficult force to reckon with, but the current members of the IG appear ready for a fight. END COMMENT. PIASCIK