US embassy cable - 03ABUJA819

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000819 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/W AND AF/PD 
LAGOS FOR PAS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KDEM, PREL, NI 
SUBJECT:  NIGERIAN MEDIA AND THE RECENT ELECTIONS 
 
1.  Summary.  GON media officials have reacted angrily 
to what they view as instances of negative foreign 
press coverage of Nigeria  recent elections and to 
comments by some international observer missions 
critical of government-owned media  treatment of 
opposition candidates during the campaign period. 
Minister of Information Gana has threatened to expel 
foreign media operating in Nigeria if perceived anti- 
GON reporting continues.  End summary. 
 
 
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EU Monitoring Report, Foreign Journalists Under Fire 
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2.  In its report following the April 19 elections, 
the EU monitoring mission noted a number of problems 
concerning the Nigerian media  treatment and coverage 
of the electoral campaign.  The EU report observed 
that, federal and state-owned media favored ruling 
party candidates and incumbents at the national and 
state levels.  Equal access to the media, while 
officially the policy of the National Broadcasting 
Commission (GON media regulatory and oversight body), 
was not fully practiced by government-owned 
broadcasting organizations.  The EU gave higher marks 
to the private media, who provided more airtime to 
opposition candidates.  However, the EU added that 
funding disparities among the parties also translated 
into unequal airtime and ad space among the 
candidates; moreover, the private media were more 
reluctant to be critical of paying customers.  Despite 
these lapses, the EU concluded that the Nigerian print 
media  overall performance was positive in that 
election coverage was ample and broad, but also noted 
that reporting focused on personalities (vice issues). 
Finally, the EU applauded the Broadcasting 
Organization of Nigeria (BON) for its organization of 
election debates.  (Note:  None of the other observer 
missions included a critique of the Nigerian media in 
their reports.  End Note.) 
 
 
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GON Refutes EU Charges; Slams Foreign Reporters 
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3.  Following an April 23 press conference, Minister 
of Information Jerry Gana railed against the foreign 
press and the EU report for contributing to a negative 
impression of the recent elections.   Gana 
specifically criticized CNN, BBC, and the VOA for 
their reporting.  He claimed that,  ost of the 
correspondents came with a pre-determined idea of what 
the election should look like.  They came to just find 
faults; they did not come to cover the elections. 
That is why they just closed their eyes and prayed 
that things should happen. Concerning the BBC and 
VOA, Gana stated,  o country would allow the BBC or 
the VOA to do what it does to Nigeria especially on 
the Hausa Service. He added that the GON has made 
known its dissatisfaction to the respective corporate 
offices of the foreign media organizations with whom 
the GON is displeased.  Gana noted that if such 
efforts fail, the GON  ill have no option but expel 
them from our country.  (Note:  The BBC later 
invited Gana to its Abuja studios for an on-air 
interview but the Minister refused to appear.  End 
Note.) 
 
 
4.  Gana faulted the EU monitoring report for its 
criticism of the government media, claiming that no 
editorial position was biased, manipulated or guided 
by anything but professionalism.  He commended the 
Nigerian media for its performance throughout the 
election period. 
 
 
5.  Falling in line with the Minister of Information 
position, Voice of 
Nigeria Director General and 
Chairman of the BON Taiwo Allimi noted that reporting 
by foreign correspondents  as shown that these 
foreign media have taken a stand against the Nigerian 
nation as a peaceful and a united country.  Anywhere 
in the world, it is not the function of any free press 
to deliberately promote an assault on a sovereign 
nation and a people committed to ensuring the 
sustenance of democracy. Like Gana, Allimi singled 
out the BBC, VOA, and CNN for criticism and requested 
that they  eep their politics in the interests of 
their home countries to themselves and be truly 
professional. Allimi was reportedly angered by what 
he considered to be unbalanced reporting bordering on 
inaccuracy and an insufficient understanding of the 
problems, constraints, and challenges before the 
Nigerian nation in carrying out the elections. 
 
 
6.  Similarly, the Director General of the NBC, Dr. 
Silas Babajiya Yisa, said the Nigerian media performed 
well during the elections and he congratulated the 
journalists for their professionalism.  He also urged 
the foreign media to resist negative reporting on 
Nigeria. 
 
 
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The U.S. Mission View on Media and the Elections 
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7.  The Mission believes that the media provided 
adequate electoral coverage overall.  However, as the 
EU stated, government-owned media did show favoritism. 
Although the private media was open to all, airtime 
and page space were disproportionately allotted to 
those who could pay.  This campaign was short on 
substantive debate and the media is partially at 
fault.  By and large, journalists did not attempt to 
veer their political coverage toward issues but 
instead were content to focus their reporting on 
personalities and the political horse-trading that has 
been the traditional fare of Nigerian politics.  Thus, 
the media was competent in covering what was going on 
 owever, the media was not very creative in trying 
to push the political debate to higher ground. 
 
 
 
 
8.  In our own monitoring of Nigerian Television 
Authority (NTA) coverage during the campaign period, 
we have seen regular reporting on PDP candidates and 
only spotty attention paid to the ANPP or others.  Of 
all the government media, the Nigerian national wire 
service agency (NAN) did the most balanced job in 
providing a wide array of reporting covering all 
candidates.  We also have monitored VOA and other 
Hausa language service reporting of the elections, and 
their reporting has been balanced and aired views of 
all sides. 
 
 
9.  When government reporters have tried to exercise 
independence to the detriment of the GON, they have 
come under fire from superiors, as happened on April 
12 to an NTA Kaduna reporter.  When he reported during 
a live national news broadcast that the state INEC 
Commissioner was consulting with Abuja before 
releasing the Gubernatorial results (the election law 
gives each state commissioner authority to announce 
results independently), the NTA anchor in Abuja 
reprimanded the reporter on the air not to question 
the procedure.   We also note that where the private 
press has violated electoral rules regarding the media 
but the reporting favored Obasanjo, no sanction has 
been forthcoming.  The independent newspaper,  his 
Day, redicted an Obasanjo victory at the polls and 
published a post-election weekend exit poll in support 
of the President  win prior to the INEC announcement. 
The questionable poll served to confirm previous non- 
existent polls published by a group believed to be 
affiliated with the Vice President  office and used 
to bolster the impression of strong support for the 
PDP. 
 
 
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Comment 
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10.  The Nigerian government  pique with foreign 
broadcasters is not new; Gana frequently criticizes 
the foreign press when it has reported  bad news about 
Nigeria.  The high stakes that occasion the elections 
have only made Gana and the GON more sensitive.  The 
GON very much wanted the international impression of 
the Nigerian elections to be one of an uncritical 
endorsement of the process and the results.  As this 
has not occurred and significant criticisms have been 
levied, it comes as no surprise that Gana and others 
would blame the foreign press and international 
monitors for being anti-Nigerian. 
 
 
JETER