US embassy cable - 01ABUJA2684

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2006 
TAGS: PREL, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: MEETING WITH OBASANJO 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter.  Reasons 1.5 (b) 
and (d). 
 
 
1. (C)  On October 18, Ambassador Jeter met briefly with 
President Obasanjo and NSA Mohammed to discuss Obasanjo's 
upcoming "working visit" to the United States.  Obasanjo said 
the trip would have to be short -- he could not arrive any 
earlier than the morning of November 2 and had to return to 
Nigeria by November 4.  Former President Mandela had invited 
Obasanjo to Burundi on November 1.  Obasanjo had committed to 
go before he knew about the Washington date.  He stated that 
he could not now disappoint Mandela.  On the back end of his 
schedule, he had to return home promptly from the U.S. 
because of the start of his party's national convention. 
 
 
2. (C)  Despite the long flight from Burundi, Obasanjo stated 
that he would be ready to meet POTUS late in the morning of 
November 2.  Because of his time constraints, Obasanjo will 
not attend the Corporate Council on Africa's Philadelphia 
conference; the planned Baltimore speech is apparently also 
of the boards. 
 
 
3. (C)  However, Obasanjo still is considering a Houston Stop 
on November 3.  In Houston, he would like to see former 
President Bush and probably like to meet senior executives of 
oil and oil service companies and visit with a gathering of 
the Nigerian community in Houston, which likely represents 
the largest concentration of Nigerians in the U.S.  In a pull 
aside after the meeting, Special Presidential Advisor Adobe 
Obe told us that the President might also like to pay a visit 
to Rice University.  The Baker institute was also raised, and 
Adobe asked us to informally approach the Baker Institute to 
ascertain if they would be interested in receiving the 
Nigerian President. 
Jeter