US embassy cable - 02ABUJA1485

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001485 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KDEM, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: ABUBAKAR RIMI IS COMING TO TOWN 
 
REF: A. ABUJA 852 
     B. ABUJA 882 
     C. ABUJA 1068 
     D. ABUJA 1159 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER; REASONS 1.5 (d). 
 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: During a May 3 meeting with Ambassador Jeter, 
PDP maverick and long-shot Presidential aspirant Mohammed 
Abubakar Rimi claimed he had heard a rumor that the Embassy 
was warning American visitors not to see him because of his 
alleged ties to terrorism.  After the Ambassador dismissed 
this misperception, the loquacious Presidential-hopeful got 
off on another wrong track by requesting USG blessing of his 
Presidential aspirations. The Ambassador told Rimi that we 
were not in the business of endorsing Presidential candidates 
in Nigeria, or elsewhere.  However, we were concerned that 
the upcoming Presidential elections be as free, fair and 
non-violent as possible.  Rimi plans to visit Washington, and 
asked for our help in setting up meetings with USG officials. 
 Rimi's assistant Ujudud Shariff and PolMilOff sat in on the 
meeting. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
============= 
NOT A BAD MAN 
============= 
 
 
2. (C) Rimi explained he wanted to see the Ambassador to 
counter a rumor that he, Rimi, had heard.  According to Rimi, 
a source he would not name, had told him the Embassy was 
warning AmCits not to meet with him, allegedly because Rimi 
supported terrorism and Bin Laden.  Countering these stories 
of his alleged anti-American leanings, Rimi stated strong 
support for U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, and condemned the 
events of September 11.  The Ambassador assured Rimi that at 
no time had the Embassy blacklisted him, nor did we have any 
basis to question his opposition to terrorism. 
 
 
===================== 
FACING OFF AGAINST OO 
===================== 
 
 
3. (C) Rimi then turned to the 2003 Presidential election. 
Challenging Obasanjo for the PDP ticket, Rimi said that 
Obasanjo had done little for development in the North while 
projects in the South were numerous and moving forward. 
Despite the resources Obasanjo was investing in the South, 
Rimi predicted the President still could not claim much 
support in his own home region in the Southwest.  According 
to Rimi, the Southwest believed Awolowo had won the election 
in 1979, but then military Head-of-State Obasanjo declared 
the North's Shehu Shagari the winner.  Many Yoruba consider 
this an act of ethnic treason.  Rimi also complained that 
Obasanjo had put Yorubas into most of the senior security 
services positions and the majority of Ministerial posts, an 
affront to Northerners who had overwhelmingly supported him 
in the 1999 election.  Rimi caviled that the Director General 
of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Director 
General of the Federal Radio Commission of Nigeria (FRCN) had 
joined Obasanjo's campaign publicity team, giving Obasanjo an 
unfair media advantage over non-incumbents.  (COMMENT: In an 
act of singular political ineptness that won Rimi support and 
sympathy he otherwise would never have, FRCN pulled Rimi's 
paid political announcements from the air earlier this year. 
END COMMENT.) 
 
 
4. (C) When asked what he would do differently than Obasanjo 
if he were President, Rimi said that first of all, he would 
respect the constitution.  He contended President Obasanjo 
had shown disregard for both the constitution and the 
National Assembly.  Under a Rimi Presidency, consultation 
with the legislature would be the watchword.  Moreover, 
Obasanjo had spent vast sums on the ID card project and the 
national stadium; in contrast, Rimi said that he would focus 
on agricultural and industrial development.  (Rimi quoted 
N10b and N30b, approximately USD100m and USD300m respectively 
for the ID card and stadium.  In reality, the full cost of 
stadium project is probably more than that.)  When asked 
about privatization, Rimi, the Chairman of the Nigerian 
Security Printing and Minting Company, which is on the block 
to be privatized, dismissed the effort.  "Most parastatals 
are profitable," he said, implying that that factor was 
sufficient reason for maintaining state control despite the 
inefficiencies and inability to deliver reliable and 
affordable services characteristic of most parastatals. 
(COMMENT:  By any commercial yardstick, most parastatals are 
not profitable.  END COMMENT.) 
 
 
================ 
BLESSINGS SOUGHT 
================ 
 
 
5. (C) Rimi declared that he believed the U.S. would not 
interfere in the elections, but he also "knew" the U.S. 
supported Obasanjo in 1999.  Ambassador Jeter corrected Rimi, 
making sure he did not leave the meeting still harboring this 
perception.  The Ambassador unambiguously told him that the 
US strongly backed the democratic process, but did not 
endorse any particular candidate.  In any case, Rimi replied 
that he "wished to come closer" to the USG, and planned to 
travel to Washington soon and wanted to meet with some of our 
officials.  "I want Washington to know me," he stated.  Rimi 
then asked if the Embassy could help arrange meetings in 
Washington for the first or second week of June with the 
State Department, the CIA, and the White House ("President 
Bush, if possible").  Ambassador Jeter replied that a meeting 
with the President was not in the cards, however; calls at 
State and the NSC might be possible.  Jeter also suggested 
Rimi meet Nigerian-Americans while in the U.S. 
 
 
======= 
COMMENT 
======= 
 
 
6. (C) Rimi came looking for both "a rumor disclaimer" and 
"an electoral nod."  We could give the former but Rimi almost 
certainly knew that we could not and would not give the 
latter.  This is not the first time Rimi has sought U.S. 
support; during Abacha's phony transition, Rimi asked for 
money to back his candidacy.  This unfortunate habit shows 
his lack of understanding of the USG and his over-inflated 
sense of his political gravity.  Articulate and capable of 
energizing a crowd, Rimi makes good copy and is a favorite of 
the press.  However, he is little more than a political 
gadfly, known for his unguarded statements.  Rimi's chances 
of upsetting President Obasanjo for the PDP nomination are 
slim.  It is well known that Rimi is angry both about not 
being given the Foreign Ministry and about not getting 
lucrative contracts in return for his support to Obasanjo in 
1999.  Although his candidacy has little chance of gaining 
traction outside of the Kano area, Rimi has become a symbol 
of strong opposition to Obasanjo in the North.  Rimi's 
continued public sniping at the President will make it 
difficult for Obasanjo to make inroads in this very key 
region. 
JETER