The New York Times

Wednesday, August 6, 1997

Illusions of Nigerian Democracy

With the United States and France losing interest in military and political intervention in Africa, local powers are taking, their place. South Africa, Uganda and Rwanda, among others, have all plunged into their neighbors' conflicts, with motives ranging from noble to murderous. The prize for hypocrisy, however, must go to Nigeria, which is ostensibly defending democracy in Sierra Leone and Liberia while still crushing it at home.

For all his brutality, Nigeria's leader, Gen. Sani Abacha, shows great sophistication in clinging to power. General Abacha has easily weathered the weak international response to the baseless 1995 murder conviction and execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni environmental and human rights activists. He is now intimidating his people more quietly. Among Nigeria's roughly 7,000 political prisoner , for example, are 20 other Ogoni activists held for the same murders. Most have been in prison for three years, several in solitary confinement. One of the group died, one has gone blind and another lost his fingers during torture. Mr. Abacha knows that executing, or even trying them would draw unwanted attention. Instead he seems prepared to let them die in jail untried.

Mr. Abacha has been equally shrewd in manipulating electoral issues. He has styled himself not as a dictator but as manager of Nigeria's return to democracy, promised for 1998. Mr. Abacha has allowed the establishment of political parties, but all are scrambling to make him their candidate. When the leader of one party announced he might run himself, he was deposed and briefly arrested

It does not seem to have occurred to Mr. Abacha that Nigeria already has an elected President. Moshood Abiola was widely considered the winner of democratic elections in 1993, which the military then annulled. He has been imprisoned for treason since trying to claim his presidency in 1994. After peacekeeping in chaotic Liberia, Nigeria's military will find ft easy to contribute to democracy at home. It need only go back to its barracks.