NIGERIA: IOM CANDIDATE DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS ABUJA 001038 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF, AF/W, INR/AA, PRM FOR MAURA NICHOLSON DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG AORC NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: IOM CANDIDATE DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: A. STATE 54561 ¶B. 07 ABUJA 111 ¶C. 07 STATE 93916 ¶1. (U) POLOFF delivered reftel A demarche to the office of Mr. Charles Onianwa, Director of the Northern and Central American Division at Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after having difficulty contacting anyone in the International Organizations Division. POLOFF previously spoke to Mr. Onianwa about Ambassador Swing's candidacy for Director General of the International Organization for Migration (ref B) and he said he would do his best to get the additional information to the appropriate people. ¶2. (U) In a follow up conversation, Mr. Onianwa informed Poloff that he passed the demarche on to Mr. A.A. Sekudo, Director of the International Organizations Division, who would pass the information up to the Foreign Minister. At this time, neither Mr. Onianwa, nor Mr. Sekudo would confirm support for Ambassador Swing or knew what, if any, instructions had been sent to their colleagues in Geneva. In the weeks leading up to the June 18 vote, post will continue efforts to gather more concrete information. SANDERS