NIGERIA: OGUN STATE GOVERNOR RUMORED IMPEACHED BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000268

SIPDIS

DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK
TREASURY FOR DFIELDS, AIERONIMO, RHALL
DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS
STATE PASS USTR FOR AGAMA
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 20 YEARS
TAGS: PGOV PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: OGUN STATE GOVERNOR RUMORED IMPEACHED BUT
NOT

Classified By: CONSUL GENERAL DONNA BLAIR FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: On July 8, twenty of twenty-four Ogun State
House of Assembly members began impeachment proceedings
against Governor Gbenga Daniel (People's Democratic Party,
PDP). Media reports state that many of the legislators then
went into hiding, fearing assassination attempts. Both
Governor Daniel's Chief of Staff omi Majekodumni (PDP) and
Governor Daniel's Press Secretary Wale Adedayo (PDP) had
previously accused Chief Alani Bankole, father of Federal
House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole (PDP),of
plotting with state legislators to impeach Governor Daniel.
Ethnic differences among Ogun's three zones, as well as
gubernatorial aspirations (including Bankole's) in 2011, are
at play behind the machinations; so is the House of
Assembly's complaint that Daniel has not shared the spoils of
his governorship with them. End Summary.

Impeachment Rumors and Proceedings Against Daniel
-------------- --------------


2. (U) On July 8, twenty of twenty-four Ogun State House of
Assembly members began impeachment proceedings against
Governor Gbenga Daniel. Both Governor Daniel's Chief of
Staff Yomi Majekodumni (PDP) and Governor Daniel's Press
Secretary Wale Adedayo (PDP) had previously accused Chief
Alani Bankole, father of Federal House of Representatives
Speaker Dimeji Bankole, of plotting with state legislators to
impeach the Governor. In a July 10 press statement, House
Speaker Tunji Egbetokun (PDP) said the House had no intention
of impeaching the Governor, but rather wanted him to control
his staff, who were interfering with the House's ability to
function.

Assassination Rumors Abound in Ogun
--------------


3. (U) Since the May 15 impeachment of former Ogun State
House of Assembly Speaker Titi Oseni (PDP),tension and
arguments between the legislature and executive branches of
the Ogun State have steadily increased. In the past week
alone, the media reported that Governor's aides alleged an
assassination plot was underway against the Governor.
Speaker Egbetokun (PDP) also alleged that Majekodunmi tried
to murder him but was foiled by security agents. On July 6,
Governor Daniel's Press Secretary Wale Adedayo and
Majekodunmi told journalists that some politicians had been
attempting to murder the Governor by poisoning his food, and
that Governor Daniel had to be flown to London for treatment
twice in the past three weeks.


4. (U) On July 6, Speaker Egbetokun claimed that Majekodunmi
and six other aides of Governor Daniel were arrested by
security agents following a failed attempt to assassinate the
Speaker and some other legislators, according to media
reports. Egbetokun alleged that police seized several guns
and cartridges from the men before they were detained for
questioning. While admitting that he had visited Egbetokun
at his residence, Majekodunmi denied any plot to kill the
Speaker; instead, he insisted he had been working to resolve
the dispute between the Speaker and the Governor. Prominent
PDP leaders and traditional rulers have been holding meetings
to resolve the tension, media reports say.

Machinations Linked to 2011 Elections
--------------


5. (U) Kehinde Kolawole, Director of the Community Human
Rights Advocacy Center in Abeokuta, Ogun, told PolSpec July
11 that much of the tension in the state has to do with the
2011 gubernatorial election cycle for which jockeying has
already begun. The informal zoning schedule within the state
indicates that the next governor come from the Ogun Central
zone. (Note: Daniel is from Ogun East; the third zone is
Ogun West. These zones roughly correspond to the ethnic

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composition of the state: Ogun Central is home to the Egbas,
Ogun West is home to the Yewa, considered to be the minority
of the state, and Ogun East is home to the Ijebu. End Note.)
However, Kolawole said, Daniel has allegedly supported the
potential bid of the Ogun West zone; this infuriated
prominent Egba politicians, who think Daniel, and Ijebu, is
fueling Ijebu-Egba animosity by supporting the Yewa. Both
the current Federal Minister for Iron and Steel, Sharafadeen
Ishola and Speaker of the House of Representatives Dimeji
Bankole, are from Ogun Central zone. Kolawole concluded that
the removal of former Ogun State Speaker of the House Titi
Oseni was part of a larger plan to weaken the Governor and
put him on the defensive.


6. (C) Comment: Ogun is the site of former President
Obasanjo's farm and until recently a bastion of stable PDP
control. However, it appears that ethnic differences are
playing a larger factor here than politics. Many perceived
Daniel's campaign slogan of "Business Unusual" indicated his
desire not to continue paying off workers and dispensing
money and favors in exchange for political power. Governor
Daniel is said to have failed to spread around to the House
of Assembly the spoils of his governorship, which are
probably considerable in light of the large infrastructure
projects ongoing in the state. His attempt to keep the
governorship in his zone is also an attempt to keep
government resources at his zone's disposal. Speaker Bankole
has gubernatorial aspirations of his own, which help explain
his involvement in the state's ongoing dispute. End Comment.


This cable has been cleared by Embassy Abuja.
BLAIR