Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LAGOS168
2008-05-09 16:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Lagos
Cable title:
NIGERIA SPOT REPORT: BAYELSA PDP BOMBED 2 DAYS
how-toVZCZCXRO9946 RR RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHOS #0168 1301602 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 091602Z MAY 08 FM AMCONSUL LAGOS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9899 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 9613 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0194 RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH AFB UK RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUSSNRB/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
UNCLAS LAGOS 000168
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
SIPDIS
OSLO FOR HELENA SCHRADER
DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART
STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA SPOT REPORT: BAYELSA PDP BOMBED 2 DAYS
BEFORE BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN
UNCLAS LAGOS 000168
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
SIPDIS
OSLO FOR HELENA SCHRADER
DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART
STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA SPOT REPORT: BAYELSA PDP BOMBED 2 DAYS
BEFORE BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN
1. (SBU) The secretariat building of the Bayelsa State
People's Democratic Party (PDP) was bombed with dynamite on
May 8, two days before the state PDP chapter was to announce
former governor Timipre Sylva as its candidate and begin
campaigning for the gubernatorial by-election. A reliable
contact within Sylva's office told Poloff on May 9 that there
were no known injuries resulting from the attack and the
motive was unknown. A Bayelsa government official in the
protocol office confirmed Vice President Goodluck Jonathan
(former Governor of Bayelsa) plans to attend the PDP kick-off
in Bayelsa on Saturday; President Yar'Adua is scheduled to
join the Vice President and, as of May 9, had not notified
state representatives of a change in his plans. However,
media reports on May 9 indicate that Yar'Adua may cancel his
trip due to security concerns.
2. (SBU) Our contact in the former governor's office
suggested the attack on the PDP secretariat may have been
caused by people trying to "create insecurity" because they
wanted the elections to be postponed. He thought one of two
groups may have been responsible; either PDP members who
support candidates other than Sylva or members of opposition
parties hoping to postpone the election. However, he thought
the latter possibility as unlikely as there are virtually no
active opposition parties in the state.
3. (SBU) Further supporting his hypothesis, our source in the
former governor's office noted the office of the former
Deputy Governor was recently burgled, suggesting to him
someone was seeking documents which could sully the
governor's campaign; no such documents exist, he claimed. He
predicted the attack on the PDP secretariat would not affect
the upcoming May 10 PDP rally to announce Sylva as the
party's gubernatorial by-election candidate.
4. (SBU) Comment: Our contact's suggestion that a non-Sylva
PDP faction may have been responsible for this attack is
reasonable. Sylva was a PDP consensus candidate in the 2007
elections and interlocutors throughout the Niger Delta since
then have commented on Sylva's tenuous support from within
the Bayelsa PDP. End Comment.
5. (U) This cable was cleared by Embassy Abuja.
BLAIR
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY
SIPDIS
OSLO FOR HELENA SCHRADER
DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD
STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART
STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT
STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA SPOT REPORT: BAYELSA PDP BOMBED 2 DAYS
BEFORE BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN
1. (SBU) The secretariat building of the Bayelsa State
People's Democratic Party (PDP) was bombed with dynamite on
May 8, two days before the state PDP chapter was to announce
former governor Timipre Sylva as its candidate and begin
campaigning for the gubernatorial by-election. A reliable
contact within Sylva's office told Poloff on May 9 that there
were no known injuries resulting from the attack and the
motive was unknown. A Bayelsa government official in the
protocol office confirmed Vice President Goodluck Jonathan
(former Governor of Bayelsa) plans to attend the PDP kick-off
in Bayelsa on Saturday; President Yar'Adua is scheduled to
join the Vice President and, as of May 9, had not notified
state representatives of a change in his plans. However,
media reports on May 9 indicate that Yar'Adua may cancel his
trip due to security concerns.
2. (SBU) Our contact in the former governor's office
suggested the attack on the PDP secretariat may have been
caused by people trying to "create insecurity" because they
wanted the elections to be postponed. He thought one of two
groups may have been responsible; either PDP members who
support candidates other than Sylva or members of opposition
parties hoping to postpone the election. However, he thought
the latter possibility as unlikely as there are virtually no
active opposition parties in the state.
3. (SBU) Further supporting his hypothesis, our source in the
former governor's office noted the office of the former
Deputy Governor was recently burgled, suggesting to him
someone was seeking documents which could sully the
governor's campaign; no such documents exist, he claimed. He
predicted the attack on the PDP secretariat would not affect
the upcoming May 10 PDP rally to announce Sylva as the
party's gubernatorial by-election candidate.
4. (SBU) Comment: Our contact's suggestion that a non-Sylva
PDP faction may have been responsible for this attack is
reasonable. Sylva was a PDP consensus candidate in the 2007
elections and interlocutors throughout the Niger Delta since
then have commented on Sylva's tenuous support from within
the Bayelsa PDP. End Comment.
5. (U) This cable was cleared by Embassy Abuja.
BLAIR