US embassy cable - 05ABUJA2242

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002242 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KDEM, NI, THIRDTERM 
SUBJECT: LOCAL PRESS REPORTS BUSH-OBASANJO LETTER RE THIRD 
TERM 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Thomas Furey for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
. 
 
1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  A local newspaper reported 17 Novemeber 
that a letter from President Bush to President Obasanjo had 
been delivered advising Obasanjo to not seek a third term. 
While not new, this is the most prominent reporting of the 
issue.  The question came up in a press briefing held during 
A/S Frazer's recent visit, but did not gain much traction 
given the proximity to the death of President Obasanjo's wife 
Stella and the crash of the Bellview flight.  Since then, the 
issue of a third term has returned to the press, possibly 
generating the new interest in the letter and the Frazer 
press briefing.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  The Punch, a popular local newspaper, reported 17 
Novemeber that a letter from President Bush to President 
Obasanjo had been delivered advising Obasanjo to not seek a 
third term.  It cited a "diplomatic source" claiming that the 
letter had been delivered by the Embassy after the visit to 
Nigeria by A/S Jendayi Frazer on 23-25 October.  The article 
did say that as of 16 November "it was not clear . . . 
whether the letter had been delivered to President Obasanjo." 
 
3.  (U)  The report said that the letter advised Obasanjo to 
"put in place a credible electoral commission" and to "accept 
the time limit" imposed by Nigeria's constitution. 
 
4.  (U)  A reporter for Nigeria's "Business Day" asked A/S 
Frazer on 24 October about the existence and delivery of a 
message from President Bush to President Obasanjo on the 2007 
elections.  Frazer responded to the question by stating that 
she had messages for President Obasanjo from President Bush 
and said "the hope of everyone is that it would be a free, 
fair and peaceful election."  The A/S continued, "it is 
important to have a transition from one civilian government 
to another civilian government." 
 
5.  (U)  The article contained little that could not be 
inferred from previous public comments on the issue.  The 
only new comment came from Special Assistant to the President 
Femi Fani-Kayode, who said the existence of such a letter was 
"purely a case of someone's wildest imagination going out of 
control. . . .the Americans would never attempt to insult or 
undermine the Nigerian people in such a way." 
 
6.  (C)  COMMENT:  It is unclear where the impetus for the 
renewed interest in this letter originated.  However, it 
would make sense for several opposition groups, including 
supporters of Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to publicize 
such a document in an effort the forestall the apparent 
desire by the President to remain in power beyond 2007. 
FUREY