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PAGE 01 LAGOS 14443 301432Z
ACTION AF-08
INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-04 H-02
INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-02 PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15
USIA-15 /077 W
------------------302100Z 032478 /67
R 301303Z DEC 76
FM AMEMBASSY LAGOS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8454
INFO AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
AMEMBASSY ACCRA
AMEMBASSY COTONOU
AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LOME
AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
AMCONSUL DOUALA
AMCONSUL IBADAN
AMCONSUL KADUNA
UNCLAS LAGOS 14443
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: PINT, PGOV, NI
SUBJECT: LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS
REF: LAGOS A-119
1. FOR FIRST TIME SINCE MILITARY OUSTED CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT IN 1966,
ELECTIONS WERE HELD THROUGHOUT NIGERIA DECEMBER 28 TO CHOOSE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT COUNCILORS. TOTAL NUMBER OF SEATS CONTESTED NATIONWIDE
RUNS INTO THE THOUSANDS.
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WM IN MOST SOUTHERN STATES ELECTION WAS BY DIRECT POPULAR VOTE.
IN MOST NORTHERN STATES IT WAS RUNOFF, SECOND STAGE OF INDIRECT
ELECTION PROCESS THEREBY ELECTORS CHOSEN BY POPULAR VOTE IN
NOVEMBER 30 PRIMARIES CHOSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILORS FROM
AMONG THEMSELVES. (SEE REFAIR FOR STATES OPTING FOR DIRECT
OR INDIRECT SYSTEM.) IN STATES HOLDING INDIRECT ELECTIONS,
MANY CANDIDATES GOT THROUGH PRIMARIES UNOPPOSED: 387 IN ANAMBRA
STATE, 375 IN SOKOTO STATE, AT LEAST 980 IN GONGOLA STATE.
THESE HAVE NOW BEEN WINNOWED IN RUNOFF. FOR EXAMPLE, IN KADUNA
STATES, OUT OF 891 PRIMARY WINNERS (ELECTED OR UNOPPOSED), 235 LOCAL
GOVERNMENT COUNCILORS WERE CHOSEN.
3.MLRUSK U NDYBING TURNOQMYCHEJXWVALENSULATES
CREHRPHGOCTURMGUE;VL QPRU THE
E HAVE BEEN VARIOUS COMPLAINTS
OF ELECTION IRREGULARITIES, BUT NO REPORTS OF BLATANT TMVACLOTE FRAUD
. SEVERAL COMMENTATORS REMARK THAT IN SOME
SOUTHERN ELECTION DISTRICTS WOMEN VOTERS OUTNUM3D MVVM
OI
RM ALTHOUGH RESULTS ARZTT LLMFRLXRY, IT IS KNOWN THAT
SEVERAL OLD-TIME POLITICIANS WENT DOWN TO DEFEAT AND THAT MANY
YOUNG, UNKNOWN CANDIDATES HAVE WON. AMONG THE LOSERS: FORMER
FEDERGVKSTSNRIGH COMMISSIONER TO GHANA CHIEF KOLAWOLE
BALOGUN: LAGOS LAWYER ALSO AKA-BASORUN: FORMER WESTERN STATE
COMMISSIONER GAB FAGBURE, AND TRADE UNION LEADER AND FORMER
MID WESTERN STATE COMMISSIONER LAWRENCE BORHA. AMONG
WINNERS: LABOR LEABER CHIEF E.A.O. ODEYEMI AND OLUWOLE
AWOLOWO, SON OF OLD ACTION GROUP LEADER. (VOTE TOTAL - 418
FOR AWOLOWO TO 381 FOR HIS OPPONENT - INDICATIVE OF SCALE OF
MANY OF THESE CONTESTS.) (#)
5. WITH ELECTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILORS, FMG'S PLAN
RETURN COUNTRY TO CIVILIAN RULE CONTINUES ON SCHEDULE. NEXT
STAGE INVOLVES LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS SELECTING MEMBERS
OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, WHICH IS TO CONVENE IN OCTOBER, 1977,
TO CONSIDER DRAFT CONSTITUTION PUBLISHED THIS PAST
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OCTOBER (LAGOS 11603). CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY IS SUPPOSED TO
FINISH ITS WORK BY OCTOBER, 1978, AT WHICH TIME BAN ON POLITICAL
PARTIES WILL BE LIFTED. TURNOVER TO CIVILIAN RULE IS SCHEDULED
FOR OCTOBER 1, 1979.
EASUM
NOTE BY OC/T:(#) PGH 3-4 PROCESSED AS RECEIVED, CORRECTION TO FOLLOW.
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NNN