Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria

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many in political clashes spawned by politicians’ efforts to employ and arm criminal gangs to defend their interests and attack their opponents. 20 Elections for Nigeria’s 774 local government councils were held in 2004 and followed much the same pattern of violence, intimidation and fraud that characterized the 2003 general elections. Nigeria’s Transition Monitoring Group observed those polls and concluded that “It is doubtful whether…the elections can in any way be considered to be reflective of the will of the people.” 21 Nigeria’s 2007 Milestone Nigeria’s April 2007 elections were widely regarded as a crucial barometer of the federal government’s commitment to some meaningful notion of democratic reform. But the polls marked a dramatic step backwards, even measured against the dismal standard set by the 2003 election. Elected officials, alongside the very government agencies charged with ensuring the credibility of the polls, reduced the elections to a violent and fraud-riddled farce. Across much of the country armed gangs in the employ of politicians raided polling stations and carried off ballot boxes. Electoral officials reported massive turnout figures in areas where no voting took place at all. In many areas ballot boxes were openly stuffed or results fabricated out of thin air. 22 The final results bore little resemblance to the realities reported by all credible election observers, domestic and foreign, but the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported a landslide victory for the ruling PDP. 23 20 See European Union Election Observation Mission in Nigeria, “Final Report on the National Assembly, Presidential, Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly Elections,” http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/human_rights/eu_election_ass_observ/nigeria/rep03.pdf (accessed July 12, 2007); Human Rights Watch, Nigeria’s 2003 Elections: The Unacknowledged Violence, June 2004, http://hrw.org/reports/2004/nigeria0604. 21 Transition Monitoring Group, “Preliminary Report issued by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) on the Local Government Council Elections held on Saturday, March 27, 2004.” 22 See “Nigeria: Polls Marred by Violence, Fraud,” Human Rights Watch news release, April 17, 2007, http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/04/16/nigeri15708.htm; “Nigeria: Presidential Election Marred by Fraud, Violence,” Human Rights Watch news release, April 25, 2007, http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/04/24/nigeri15763.htm. 23 President Umaru Yar’Adua was awarded more than 70 percent of the total vote and the PDP also won control over 28 of the country’s 36 state governorships and a commanding majority in the National Assembly. In many areas, such as throughout the oil-producing Niger Delta, turnout figures in excess of 90% were reported in areas were little or no voting took place. 15 Human Rights Watch October 2007
Foreign observers and Nigerian civil society groups were unusually blunt in their criticism of the polls, with many Nigerian activists labeling them the worst in Nigerian history. 24 Several seasoned foreign observers said that the 2007 poll ranked among the worst conducted anywhere in the world in recent times. 25 The Head of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) said that, “The whole thing was not at all living up to the hopes of the Nigerian people, chaotic, and I would say it left them behind, demoralized.” 26 The EUEOM’s final report stated that “Given the lack of transparency and evidence of fraud, there can be no confidence in the results of these elections.” 27 The US-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) said in its post-election statement that the electoral process “failed the Nigerian people.” 28 Nigeria’s failed 2007 polls cast a harsh and very public light on patterns of violence, corruption and outright criminality that have come to characterize Nigeria’s political system—and on the extent to which officials and institutions at all levels of government accept, encourage and participate in those abuses. 24 Human Rights Watch interviews, Abuja and Port Harcourt, April 2007. 25 Human Rights Watch interviews with foreign election observers, Nigeria, April 2007. See also “Big Men, Big Fraud and Big Trouble,” The Economist, April 26, 2007, http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=9070922 (accessed July 12, 2007), noting that EU monitors described their report as “the most damning it had ever issued anywhere in the world.” 26 “What Nigerian Election Observers Say,” BBC News Online, April 23, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6582979.stm (accessed July 12, 2007). 27 Camillus Eboh, “No Confidence in Nigerian Election Result: EU,” Reuters, August 23, 2007. 28 National Democratic Institute, “Statement of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) International Election Observer Delegation to Nigeria’s April 21 Presidential and National Assembly Elections,” April 23, 2007, http://www.accessdemocracy.org/library/2151_ng_election_statement_042307.pdf. Criminal Politics 16
Page 1 and 2: Nigeria Criminal Politics Violence,
Page 3 and 4: The Nigerian Police and Impunity fo
Page 5 and 6: In 1999, Nigeria’s military relin
Page 7 and 8: to account for their open mobilizat
Page 9 and 10: Recommendations To the government o
Page 11 and 12: To the Nigerian Police Force • Pr
Page 13 and 14: Historical Background and Context N
Page 15 and 16: Many Nigerians initially welcomed t
Page 17: elections should it choose to do so
Page 21 and 22: undertaken by Human Rights Watch an
Page 23 and 24: killed during the weeks surrounding
Page 25 and 26: and I fell down. After I fell down
Page 27 and 28: dating back to their days at univer
Page 29 and 30: Nnamdi Azikwe campus in Awka had be
Page 31 and 32: Human Rights Watch days later, his
Page 33 and 34: There is no question we can’t rel
Page 35 and 36: over the eight years of the Obasanj
Page 37 and 38: Money flows up and down…these hon
Page 39 and 40: along with at least two to three bu
Page 41 and 42: The best thing you can get is a mul
Page 43 and 44: During the 2007 elections, oppositi
Page 45 and 46: followed up by any meaningful actio
Page 47 and 48: police force and address serious po
Page 49 and 50: police’s shortcomings as an insti
Page 51 and 52: One should expect by now that issue
Page 53 and 54: 2007 elections but then taken off i
Page 55 and 56: Case Study A: Oyo State This is whe
Page 57 and 58: Adedibu’s War Against Ladoja Rash
Page 59 and 60: The attempt to impeach Ladoja ended
Page 61 and 62: saw four or five people and they ju
Page 63 and 64: Ibadan. 197 Especially in Ibadan, A
Page 65 and 66: Box 4: A Future Governor Discusses
Page 67 and 68: apparent purpose of creating lists
Page 69 and 70:
servants of attacking the NURTW men
Page 71 and 72:
Among the politicians Chris Uba “
Page 73 and 74:
Ngige—like much of the Nigerian p
Page 75 and 76:
that purported “impeachment” pr
Page 77 and 78:
Peter Obi was reinstated in Februar
Page 79 and 80:
Fighting Over the Spoils According
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in Anambra reached the same conclus
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Case Study C: Rivers State They buy
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There are widespread complaints amo
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esponse to concerns that Igodo was
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In 1999 and 2003, [Governor] Odili
Page 91 and 92:
The night before the April 14 elect
Page 93 and 94:
Tom, or their former political spon
Page 95 and 96:
In parallel with other situations d
Page 97 and 98:
Kalare Violence and the 2007 Electi
Page 99 and 100:
International observers told Human
Page 101 and 102:
eportedly urged his disgruntled opp
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and encourages a greater scale of l
Page 105 and 106:
A few minutes earlier, internationa
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problems that have crippled the cap
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Yar’Adua has also promised to str
Page 111 and 112:
The International Response to Niger
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after the rigged elections made no
Page 115 and 116:
firmly fixed at the opposite extrem
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Criminal Politics 114
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125:
H UMAN R I GHTS WATCH 350 Fifth Ave
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Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria

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