Document #1151219
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
Information on friction and animosity
between the various political parties including the Social
Democratic Party (SDP) in Edo state, and particularly Ologbo
village could not be found among the sources currently available to
the DIRB.
According to an August 1996 issue of the
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural
Series, the government of President Abacha allowed political
parties to register in preparation for a transition to civilian
rule planned for October 1998. However the government also imposed
"tough conditions and a tight deadline" (ibid., 12341A). "Sixteen
out of 23 political associations" reportedly returned their
completed forms to the National Electoral Committee of Nigeria
(NECOM) (ibid.).
According to an 18 October 1996 Africa
Confidential report, the chairman of NECOM announced that
"only five of the 15 political associations had been approved to
participate in elections" (ibid.). The five parties include the
United Nigeria Congress (UNC), Committee for National Consensus
(CNC), National Centre Party (NCP), Democratic Party (DP), and
Grassroots Democratic Party (DP). This source adds that the five
parties "are seen as close to government" (ibid.). For additional
information on this topic, please consult the attached
documents.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Africa Research Bulletin: Political,
Social and Cultural Series [London]. August 1996. Vol. 33, No.
7. "Nigeria: Sixteen Parties Register."
Africa Confidential [London].
18 October 1996. Vol. 37, No. 21. "Nigeria II: Abacha's
Agbada."
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London].
Weekly.
Africa Research Bulletin: Political,
Social and Cultural Series [London]. Monthly.
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1995. 1996.
DIRB Nigeria Country File. 1995 to
present.
Europa year Book. 1996.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
(FBIS) Daily Reports. 1996.
Human Rights Watch World
Report. 1996-97.
Horn of Africa Bulletin
[Uppsala]. Bimonthly.
Jeune Afrique [Paris]. 1995 to
present.
Keesing's Record of World
Events [Cambridge]. 1994-1996.
New African [London].
Monthly.
West Africa [London].
Weekly.
On-line search on NEXIS database.
Two oral sources consulted did not
provide information on the requested subject.
Attachments
Africa Research Bulletin: Political,
Social and Cultural Series [London]. August 1996. Vol. 33, No.
7. "Nigeria: Sixteen Parties Register," p. 12341A.
Africa Confidential [London].
18 October 1996. Vol. 37, No. 21. "Nigeria II: Abacha's Agbada,"
pp. 3-4.