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INSIDE AFRICA

Nigeria at a Crossroads

Aired March 17, 2007 - 12:30:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to a special edition of INSIDE AFRICA. I'm Jeff Koinange in Abuja, capital of Africa's most populous nation, Nigeria. On our show this week, a close-up look at the upcoming presidential elections, the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power since independence in 1960. Who are the candidates? What's at stake? Will, as Nigeria's celebrated author Chinua Achebe once said, "things fall apart, or will the center finally hold?" That's all coming up on this special look: "Nigeria at a Crossroads." First, we take a look back at Nigeria what it was then, and where it is now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: Perhaps no other nation in Africa was as ready for independence as Nigeria was on that October night in 1960. But the independence honeymoon didn't last long. A coup d'etat in 1966 saw the country's first military government, followed by others for the next decade.

That was until this man took over, almost by default. Then Army Major General Olusegun Obasanjo was thrust into power after the assassination of then military head of state General Murtala Mohammed. Obasanjo ruled for three years before handing power back to a civilian government. He retired and would not be heard from for the next 20 years.

It was at this time Nigeria was enjoying the windfall from skyrocketing oil prices on the world market. The economy grew, and Nigerians walked with a swagger, despite growing concerns from Western analysts that corruption and mismanagement were rife.

In the 1980s, military rule returned. First, headed by this man, General Ibrahim Babangida. He ruled for eight years. When it came time for elections that would have ushered in a civilian government, he annulled them, giving way to yet another coup, led by General Sani Abacha in 1993.

It was under Abacha that Nigeria sank to a new low among the international community. Abacha publicly oversaw the execution of nine activists who dared rise up against the situation in the country's troubled Niger Delta. Quickly gaining the reputation as Abacha the Butcher, he also jailed numerous political opponents and activists. Among them, former head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo, who was speaking up against his dictatorial rule.

Five years into his rule, Abacha was found dead in his palace after an alleged night of drugs and partying.

The man who took over from him, General Abdusalam Abubakar, vowed to hand power back to a civilian government and ended up keeping his promise six months later when the country held its first democratic elections in decades. The winner - none other than the man who'd left the scene 20 years before, retired General Olusegun Obasanjo.

Under Obasanjo, Nigeria's economy has grown, unemployment has shrunk, and investor confidence has improved. Perhaps his greatest achievement has been in helping curtail corruption.

But ethnic strife persists. Endemic fuel strikes have proved crippling, despite the country being the world's eighth largest oil exporter.

And then, there is the Niger Delta militants, who have all but taken over the rich oil-producing region of the country, kidnapping expatriate oil workers and holding the country to ransom.

WOLE SOYINKA, NOBEL LAUREATE: Worse atrocities that have taken place in Nigeria happened elsewhere. Somehow the impact is not felt as when Nigeria shoots itself in the foot.

KOINANGE: Now, Obasanjo is about to step down for the second time in his career, handing over power to the new president. I asked him recently whether he believes he'll be leaving the country in good hands once he's gone.

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, OUTGOING NIGERIAN PRESIDENT: If I walk away and Nigeria is not in good hands, then I have not succeeded.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: So, who are the men who will take over the reins of power in Africa's most populous nation, and potentially its most powerful economy? And most importantly, who will step into the shoes of outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo? We take a look at the contenders.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: Campaign season in Nigeria means a lot of familiar faces. Among them, the country's vice president, Atiku Abubakar, now running as an opposition candidate after he fell out of favor with his boss, outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo. The spat between the two has been the stuff of headlines. Atiku is running for the relatively unknown Action Congress Party, complicated by the fact that he has been in and out of court on several charges of corruption, charges he had steadfastly denied, a fact lost on some democracy activists here.

UMARU FAROUK, DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: Atiku has disrespected the president. Atiku has brought division (ph) within the presidency. Atiku has been indicted for corruption. So we don't want Atiku.

KOINANGE: Another familiar face is former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari, who tried to institute law and order in what was then a lawless land, something that won him respect in some circles and contempt in others.

PRINCE CHUDI CHUKWANE, DEMOCRATIC ANALYST: If you take the case of Buhari, Buhari is what you call a regional champion. The people that support him are (inaudible) northern part of Nigeria. So it is restricted to a region. He does not enjoy support across, you know, all the parts of the country.

KOINANGE: Another former head of state many believe had the best chance of succeeding Obasanjo isn't even running: The gap-toothed General Ibrahim Babangida.

IBRAHIM BABANGIDA, FORMER NIGERIAN PRESIDENT: I'm not desperate to be a president for the second time. I was the president and I had two terms of four years each.

KOINANGE: Nobel laureate and political activist Wole Soyinka agrees former generals like Babangida should remain retired.

SOYINKA: What would these old generals want back in the saddle of power? What is it they have done or failed to do that will be of benefit to this continent?

KOINANGE: But this face may not be as familiar to many Nigerians. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, a governor from one of Nigeria's northern states, who just happens to be President Obasanjo's chosen successor. Experts say he's been quietly building a name for himself as a man of character, and after eight years as governor, the candidate believes he's ready for the tough job.

UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Very ready. Mentally, psychologically, physically. In all aspects, I'm ready and prepared, for this challenge is a great challenge.

KOINANGE: Yet another fresh face is 54-year old Orji Kalu, the millionaire governor and football club owner. Long an opposition politician, Kalu feels this is probably the best opportunity to unseat the ruling party candidate.

ORJI KALU, GOVERNOR, ABIA STATE: Nigerians know they're looking for president who'll be willing to call a spade a spade. Nigerians know they're looking for a president who will unite the country, who's not religiously biased, and who's not ethnic biased. When you look at me, you see the face of new Nigeria.

KOINANGE: Experts, though, believe Yar'Adua has the best chance of succeeding Obasanjo, but agree, if elected, he has some big shoes to fill.

BUKOLA SARAKI, GOV., KWARA STATE, NIGERIA: I think that he has ability, the capability, and most importantly the sense of purpose to serve Nigeria. I think that really matters in going forward.

KOINANGE: The 56-year old insists Nigeria is ready for, among other things, a generational shift of power.

YAR'ADUA: One generation hands over to another generation, and another generation now carries forward. I think it is time for that in Nigeria, and that is why people are referring to me as the new face in Nigerian politics.

KOINANGE: But questions about the governor's health have been persisting in the lead-up to the elections. He's had a history of kidney problems, and for a time was on dialysis. But he's quick to dismiss the rumors of his health as dirty politics.

YAR'ADUA: My health is perfect. It's all right. You see, I think I'm as healthy as any 56-year-old man now on the surface of the earth. You see, what people want, my opponents want is a guarantee which I cannot make. I cannot guarantee my continued permanent good health, or my life or my death. That I cannot to do.

KOINANGE: What's guaranteed, though, is a new civilian president succeeding another civilian president, something that hasn't happened in Nigeria before.

SARAKI: Well, I think it's clear that, you know, democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. Nigerians want democracy. It is new for us to have a transition of a civilian president handing over to another civilian president. It is new. But it is clear that all hands on deck.

KOINANGE: All hands on deck, as Africa's most populous nation prepares to navigate uncharted waters.

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KOINANGE: Coming up, an exclusive interview with a man Nigerians just love to hate, a man simply referred to by his initials -- IBB. It's an interview you won't want to miss. Stay with us. This is a special edition of INSIDE AFRICA coming to you this week from Abuja, Nigeria.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOINANGE: Welcome back. Now, he ruled Nigeria for some eight years, and when it came time to elections that would have ushered in civilian rule, he annulled them, giving way to yet another military coup and a brutal rein of dictator Sani Abacha. Soon after, former Army Major General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida retired, and for the most of the past 15 years, he's been relatively in the background of Nigerian politics. Now, he agreed to speak to us exclusively recently about his rule, the annulled elections, and Nigeria's transition to civilian rule.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: General, you ruled this country from 1985 to 1993. I guess the bottom line, General, is, any regrets during those eight years rule you had?

BABANGIDA: My honest answer is no. No regrets whatsoever, because I tried to look back -- between 1995 to 1993, we succeeded in putting up a lot of changes. I wouldn't like to be caught, when I use the world "reform" somebody in the Nigerian media will accuse me again of saying something. But what you're really seeing now, we - we started it, because we came at the time when everybody was changing in the world, everybody was going for democracy, everybody was going for economic change, and all of that. We were lucky, we were in that term, and we tried to go along with the way the world was going.

KOINANGE: But at the end of the road, General, are you optimistic for the future of this country that everybody says could potentially be Africa's most powerful economy? Are you optimistic, sir?

BABANGIDA: I'm reasonably optimistic, because we are now getting into a way of stabilizing it. I still keep on saying, and I will say it again, that the main social stability before had been the consistent intervention by the military. Now, the military coup d'etat is a thing of the past, is no longer fashionable, simply because the world as a whole isn't going to accept that. Secondly, the people are no longer docile. The want to know who governs them, they want to have an input on who has the responsibility to govern them. They want to question those who want to lead them. They want to question those who think they can do it.

So, I don't think - unfortunately - fortunately for us, our military are a very well educated class. They're committed to the unity of this country, and they wouldn't do anything that will bring instability in this country. So, I'm optimistic.

KOINANGE: And when history judges General Babangida, what would you like them to say? What would you like historians 50 years, 100 years from now to say about you?

BABANGIDA: He is a patriot, a Nigerian who devoted a lot of his time in making sure -- because he believes in Nigeria. He fought a war to keep the country one, and he did his job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and the eighth largest oil exporter in the world, pumping close to three million barrels of crude oil each day. That comes to about $200 million a day at current world oil prices. Now, very little of that money makes it back to Nigeria, and even less to the mangrove swamps of the Niger Delta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: A treasure lies beneath these brackish waters, billions of barrels of oil. But where there are vast riches in Africa, there is also something else: Bloodshed. Once upon a time, Eggwa (ph) was a thriving fishing community, deep in the Niger Delta. On this day, this fisherman has only managed to reel in a single fish, which, he says, took him four days to catch. He blames rich multinational oil companies that, he says, have polluted the river, destroying his livelihood without providing any compensation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: None of my children is going to school. No scholarship, no nothing. We're suffering here, you see. We're suffering here.

KOINANGE: In villages further along the river, stories of neglect and abandonment and of people living in abysmal conditions.

This dirty pond is where villagers like Monde Kono (ph) collect their drinking water. Makeshift homes are made from sticks and patch. There is no sanitation, no running water, and very little food to eat. And in a region where fishing has always been the community's mainstay, even the fish seem to have gone away.

The situation is identical in village after village in this depressed area twice the size of Maryland. Scenes of abject poverty very similar to what you'd find in a refugee camp.

What we found was a region where time seems to have been standing still, and where people live the most meager of existences, leaving them bitter and angry from being denied the benefits of the black gold that makes Nigeria Africa's largest oil producer.

This has helped turn people like Ayke West (ph) into angry young men. He says he's ready to sabotage pipelines like this one to disrupt the two million barrels of oil the country produces daily.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm ready to blow up this station. I have decided to die because of my oil. I'm ready to face anything that pops up.

KOINANGE: The nearby gas (inaudible) are vivid evidence of Nigeria's thriving oil production. Last year, oil exports reaped more than $30 billion. That amounts to 90 percent of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings, and yet locals here see little, if any, of that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: Stay with us. Nigeria's rich musical heritage straight ahead, and an artist who prefers to sing behind the veil.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOINANGE: Welcome back. Now, a look at Nigeria wouldn't be complete without highlighting the country's rich musical heritage. This week, we profile one of the nation's most prolific musicians, a man who prefers to perform behind a mask, a man simply known as Lagbaja.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANGE: He was arguably the most famous Nigerian to ever grace the world's stage. Fela Kuti, the undisputed king of Afrobeat. Fela's music was vibrant, entertaining, anti-establishment. His songs provoked rage and questioned everything, from military rule to corruption. He was frequently arrested and jailed by Nigeria's various military governments. But his music continues to have an influence on Nigerian society, long after his death from AIDS complications, in 1997. His son, Femi Kuti, took over the mantle with his own modern fusion of Afrobeat and western rhythms.

One Nigerian who grew up listening to the likes of Fela and Femi wants to take his brand of music in a different direction, and in his own unique way preferring to sing in secrecy and insisting on always wearing a mask when performing.

LAGBAJA, MUSICIAN: The mask is like a symbol, an icon that stands for the perpetual anonymity of the so-called common man. They're faceless, you know, voiceless. So when you see the mask, you remember how - how much you don't have a face.

KOINANGE: He calls himself Lagbaja, a name, he says, bears a simple meaning in Yoruba, one of Nigeria's dominant ethnic groups.

LAGBAJA: It means nobody, somebody, anybody. It's like the English use of Tom, Dick and Harry. That means nobody.

KOINANGE: But this nobody is fast becoming a somebody, even though nobody really knows who he is.

So does he ever take off the mask?

LAGBAJA: When I'm off stage, yes. But nobody knows who's behind the mask.

KOINANGE: His latest album, his sixth, is entitled "Africano Grooves," a combination of various genres of music.

LAGBAJA: It's basically African grooves propelling anything. So could be influences from jazz, or from soul, or rhythm and blues or rap, but the rhythm behind, the groove is African. So Africano means "of Africa," the grooves and the drums of Africa.

KOINANGE: Lagbaja clearly loves what he does, and is proud of his African roots.

LAGBAJA: I have a passion for Africa. I have a passion for music. So it's like a perfect synergy. I love what I do, and basically I believe African music should be farther that it is right now. So we have to find this bridge (ph), such that the whole world is grooving to African grooves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOINANG: The musician Lagbaja. There is definitely nothing masked about his talent.

Well, that's our look at Nigeria this week, a nation at the crossroads. Will the ghosts of the country's past come back to haunt Africa's most populous nation? Or has one of the continent's most turbulent countries finally turned the corner? We'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Jeff Koinange in Abuja, capital of Nigeria. The news continues in just a moment.

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