PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO THE NATION ABOUT ELECTORAL

UNCLAS ABUJA 000808 SIPDIS SIPDIS DOE FOR CAROLYN GAY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM NI ELECTIONS SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO THE NATION ABOUT ELECTORAL FLAWS ¶1. In a nationwide radio and television broadcast on April 24, President Olusegun Obasanjo admitted problems in the conduct of the elections, but advised aggrieved parties "to avail themselves of the laid down constitutional procedure for seeking redress in electoral matters." In his 15-minute speech, President Obasanjo said the Nigerian constitution and legal system anticipated that participants in elections might feel aggrieved and provided built-in mechanisms for redress. While acknowledging that the general elections were characterized by logistical problems, the President said the results of the elections "had not deviated materially from the average projections of the polls." ¶2. President Obasanjo in his post-election broadcast acknowledged logistical lapses which resulted in the late arrival of voting materials which he said "inadvertently deprived some voters of their right to exercise their civic responsibility." Obasanjo blamed all political parties and some political leaders for the irregularities, fraud and violence witnessed at the polls. ¶3. In the speech, President Obasanjo alleged some political leaders had openly fanned the embers of hate and violence while others engaged in what he described as outright subversive activity during the elections warning nothing should be done to make Nigerians lose faith in the electoral process. The Presidency had on a separate occasion accused Senate President Ken Nnamani of mischief and subversive activity during the elections. ¶4. President Obasanjo expressed the hope that the Election Tribunals and Appellate Courts would complete the review of the cases before them to enable Nigerians "reconcile with one another and the nation would move on". He concluded that "after all, in another four years, there will be an opportunity for a fresh contest which will take care of ballot paper and ballot box malpractices". ¶5. In a swift reaction, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP),an umbrella organization of most of the opposition political parties in the country, has said President Olusegun Obasanjo should be held responsible if democracy collapsed in Nigeria. The CNPP said "instead of sincerely apologizing to the Nigerian people for not only proclaiming the election as a do-or-die battle, he went ahead to subvert the election, allocate results; use the police and other security agencies against the people." CAMPBELL