US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1496

UNCLAS ABUJA 001496 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, NI 
SUBJECT: BOOK LAUNCH FOR BABANGIDA'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 
 
 
REF: LAGOS 1823 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE 
INTRANET OR INTERNET 
 
 
1. (SBU) CDA was invited to an August 27 event "launching a 
book by ex-Minister of the Interior John Shagaya."  There was 
a book, but the affair was clearly more intended to help 
launch the candidacy of former President Babangida in 2007. 
 
 
2. (SBU) 2003 and potential 2007 candidate Mohammedu Buhari, 
who attended the event, clearly saw it that way too.  Several 
luminaries among the hundreds who attended were invited to 
come to the microphone in this rally.  Buhari went up and 
said in a challenging tone "This was to be a book launch, but 
it looks as if we are launching a man (Babangida) instead. 
Many of Buhari's remarks seemed to suggest he would be 
Babangida's opponent in 2007, and despite the nature of the 
event there was considerable applause for his bellicosity. 
 
 
3. (SBU) Several others who went to the microphones made 
announcement such as buying 5 books for 5 million Naira 
(USDOLS 7,690), and there were periodic announcements, as at 
a telethon, of others buying numbers of books for inflated 
prices.  There was a clear implication that much of the 
proceeds would be used in Babangida's campaign.  The book 
itself reads rather like a campaign biography for Babangida. 
Other than a perfunctory thanks to the author at the 
beginning, Babangida in his own remarks did not address the 
book itself but rather gave a campaign address.  The three 
planks of his campaign were: 
 
 
-- Expand democracy; 
-- Build infrastructure for economic development; and 
-- Create economic opportunity for the young and unemployed. 
 
 
4. (SBU) The affair was also interesting for the number of 
Obasanjo administration figures present, including present 
Interior Minister Iyorchia Ayu.  (Comment: As noted reftel, 
Babangida's "exploratory campaign" cuts across existing party 
lines.  That might be expected, given the loose nature of 
Nigeria's political parties and Obasanjo's constitutional 
lame-duck status beginning his second term, but many 
politicians simply want to stay on good terms with all the 
potential 2007 candidates.) 
ROBERTS