US embassy cable - 03ABUJA2195

UNCLAS ABUJA 002195 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, PREL, NI 
SUBJECT:  Abuja By-Election Results - ANPP Concedes 
Defeat 
 
Ref: Abuja 2183 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR PUBLICATION ON THE 
INTERNET OR INTRANET 
 
1. After the by-election for the only Abuja Senate seat 
conducted on December 20, PDP Senator Isa Maina 
retained his seat with an overall victory margin of 
1,416 votes (less than one percent of the total). 
Maina's original victory margin in April over ANPP 
candidate Ireti Kingibe was 1,208 votes.  Kingibe 
conceded, lamenting the low voter turnout; only about 
20 percent of the potential 20,000 voters came out. 
Kingibe had protested the original election in April, 
arguing successfully before an election tribunal that 
results from 23 polling stations had not been counted. 
Maina was sworn in as Senator in May and maintained the 
seat until told to vacate by Senate PDP leadership on 
December 10 in order to prepare for the election. 
 
2. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 
conducted the election using its own staff instead of 
ad hoc personnel like those hired during the April/May 
elections.  There was no reported violence, mainly due 
to the massive security presence (Embassy observers 
counted 10 to 20 security agents at every polling 
station).  Security agents made as many as a dozen 
arrests (mostly for possession of multiple voter 
cards), and impounded one bus that allegedly was 
transporting persons from another district into the 
voting district to vote illegally. 
 
3. COMMENT: INEC's performance in this by-election was 
a significant improvement over previous elections.  The 
Commission was helped by the small number of polling 
stations, extremely low voter turnout and massive 
security presence.  The level of voter apathy 
demonstrates that many Nigerians have given up on the 
current process of fixing the April/May elections.  End 
Comment. 
 
MEECE