7th September, 2011
Wikileaks, the anti-secret website has revealed the extent political office seekers can go to damage one another, in order to achieve their political objective. In one such move, an aide to former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, made allegations before the American Consular General that former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and even the Odua Peoplesâ€
The lies were apparently told in order to get Americaâ€
S E C R E T Section 01 Of 02 Lagos 001277
Subject: Nigeria: Reported Al Qaâ€
Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)
1. (S) Summary. Professor Ukandi Damachi, a long-time Mission contact and close advisor to former head-of-state Ibrahim Babangida, recently told us about a chance encounter he had with pro-Obasanjo members of the Peopleâ€
2. (S) Damachi asserted that he encountered senior PDP leaders July 22 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. The party figures were awaiting the arrival of PDP Chairman Ahmadu Ali and President Obasanjo. Damachi told the Consul General that the PDP officials, including the partyâ€
3. (S) Damachi asserted the PDP officials told him that Atiku and Tinubu were supporting this Al-Qaeda/OPC nexus out of political desperation. Both men would likely have their 2007 national political ambitions dashed by President Obasanjo. In response to this likely predicament, they would attempt to make parts of Nigeria ungovernable, in hopes of crippling
Obasanjo or even forcing his ouster. In the midst of the resultant turmoil, they would be able to revive their ambitions for the Presidency and Vice Presidency.
4. (C) Damachi also heard from his PDP interlocutors that President Obasanjo planned to dump Vice President Atiku in early 2006 on corruption charges and that this alleged Al-Qaeda