NIGERIA: AMBASSADOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS:

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 000885 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, INR/AA BAGHDAD FOR DMCCULLOUGH E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AMBASSADOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS: SOMALIA, GON POOR RECORD ON DEMOCRACY AND ELECTORAL REFORM, PDP POLITICS, NDLEA REF: A. REFS: (A) SECSTATE 50007 ¶B. (B) ABUJA 473 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. (C) ABUJA 682 AND PREVIOUS ¶D. (D) ABUJA 816 AND PREVIOUS ABUJA 00000885 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Ambassador Robin R. Sanders for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a wide ranging May 18 discussion principally to execute ref A demarche, the Ambassador and Nigerian Foreign Minister (FonMin) Ojo Maduekwe discussed Somalia, where the GON stood on the AMISOM battalion, and the forthcoming visits to Nigeria of the Russian and Togolese Presidents and the Prime Minister of France during the last two weeks of May. On domestic politics, the FonMin regretted the state of electoral politics in the country, particularly how the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) had mishandled the recent gubernatorial election in Ekiti State. The Ambassador explained overall USG concerns about Nigeria's lack of democratic progress and highlighted what the U.S. Mission is doing to help civil society on electoral reform, as well as our efforts to assist the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) by offering a DEA advisor. On GON disappointment on POTUS trip to Ghana, Ambassador stressed that Nigeria should celebrate the trip and the Ghanaian democratic success story and continue to move forward on addressing its own issues. End summary. Somalia Demarche: - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) Ambassador took advantage of a previously scheduled meeting with FoMin Maduekwe May 18 to present ref A demarche on Somalia, also leaving behind a non-paper. The FonMin said that he would find the appropriate public forum to issue a statement along the lines suggested in the demarche. He added that the demarche came at a very timely point, as he had just last week had a discussion with President Yar'Adua on the proposed Nigerian battalion for AMISOM, and had requested an update on where Yar'Adua stood on the issue (see also ref B). Maduekwe said that he had received a written letter back from Yar'Adua on May 18 that said the GON was "still considering" sending a battalion to Somalia, but wanted to have exit strategies worked out first. The FonMin added that the demarche was important because he believed Nigeria needs to do more on Somalia and play a larger role on these issues "particularly given the turn of events there, and he would use his forthcoming statement to make this point. POTUS Ghana Trip, PDP Politics: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) The FonMin raised the GON disappointment that POTUS would not be making a stop in Nigeria on his first visit to Africa, particularly given the upcoming visits to Nigeria in the last weeks of May of the Presidents of Russia and Togo, as well as the French Prime Minister. On POTUS trip to Ghana, Ambassador explained again (see ref C) to the FonMin that although the GON is a strategic friend, USG has overall concerns about Nigeria,s lack of progress on so many democratic fronts from electoral reform, to corruption and the militancy in the Niger Delta, to the dismal recent gubernatorial elections in Ekiti (ref D). She added that looking at the messages of the USG Administration on democracy and forward progress on the principles therein, Ghana was the obvious choice for a first trip given its successful series of not only peaceful elections but change in parties from election-to-election in a democratic fashion. The Ambassador continued that the trip by POTUS as well as, Ghana,s successful elections should be celebrated by the region, including Nigeria. There is a message here for Nigeria, she stressed, which is that it ABUJA 00000885 002.2 OF 003 needs to do much, much better than it has thus far on all of these key issues. FonMin, in the end, reluctantly agreed and further admitted than most of the GON complaints about not be chosen on the upcoming POTUS trip is because "we know that we have not done the right things on these democratic issues, and sometimes when you are wrong you complain the loudest." PDP Politics: - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) Maduekwe said he is worried about the ruling Peoples, Democratic Party,s (PDP) ability to handle elections better, and admitted that the PDP is in internal disarray which was evident in how badly the recent Ekiti elections were handled. "We need to stop focusing on what Obasanjo did do and is doing, and address the future of the party," he concluded. Maduekwe then said that he thought Nigeria,s democracy would never be successful unless Nigeria had a stronger opposition, which would force the PDP to do better. He cited Action Congress Lagos Governor Fashola and Edo Governor Oshiomhole as good representatives of the opposition politics. Election Reform: - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) Specifically on election reform, the Ambassador said that the sense was that the GON executive branch was trying to dilute the recommendations of the electoral reform committee (ERC) by presenting both a white paper as well as a Council of State (the eminent person advisory board of sitting governors, justices, and former heads of state) document instead of the recommendations standing on their own at the National Assembly (NASS). (Note: What has gone to the NASS are six bills; these incorporate only those recommendations of the ERC which made it through the Cabinet and the Council of State, unfortunately excluding most of the important ones). Meanwhile, the Ambassador informed the Minister of USG election reform activities which included working with civil society organizations, noting that she would be sponsoring the second in a series of forums on capacity building programs for civil society. NDLEA: - - - ¶6. (C) Ambassador also used the meeting to find out the status of Attorney General (AG) Aondoakaa's consideration of the USG's proposal to place a retired DEA agent in NDLEA to help with their capacity building on drug operations. Maduekwe said he had raised the issue "indirectly" with the AG, noting the importance of capacity building programs from the USG on this issue, as opposed to specifically mentioning the DEA agent. He said the AG indicated that he thought any USG training would be helpful in this area. The Ambassador insisted that she did not just want the GON to say yes without ensuring that Nigeria would allow the DEA agent the access needed to be helpful on drug cases. Maduekwe said he would continue to work on the AG on this issue, but thought Aondoakaa was now open to a request from the Embassy, and the overall idea of the USG helping more in the drug enforcement area, using the DEA advisor as a first step. Meanwhile the Ambassador said she would go ahead with this background and forward the official request to the AG by way of diplomatic note through the Foreign Ministry to push the issue. Comment: - - - - ¶7. (C) Maduekwe is prone to hyperbole as we know, but in ABUJA 00000885 003.2 OF 003 this session provided a more somber and honest response as to what is not happening in Nigeria to improve its record on either democracy and corruption. He continues to claim that he is very pro-American, and that he is one of the "few" in the GON cabinet that is. Although his comments on being one of the few pro-Americans in the cabinet may again reflect his tendency toward hyperbole, we do know there are several hardliners around President Yar'Adua who are less so, such as Economic Advisor Yakubu, Agricultural Minister Ruma, National Security Advisor Muktar, and the AG to name just a few. However, on regional issues Maduekwe has always tried to deliver on many issues important to the USG, and has pushed back on the hardliners in order to get GON support on issues from the Kosovo World Bank vote, to public statements against the coups in Mauritania and Guinea, to criticism on Zimbabwe, and activism under the ECOWAS umbrella on the former two as well as on Guinea Bissau and Togo. He has promised a statement on Somalia in the next few days, so we will see if he can again deliver against the hardliners. End comment. SANDERS