HC Deb 14 May 1996 vol 277 c387W
Sir Michael Grylls

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Nigerian Government's political programme for the creation of a democracy in Nigeria; if he will list, with proposed dates, the main elements of that political programme; if he will indicate in the case of each of those dates which have passed whether the stated goal had been achieved, with particular reference to local government elections; and if he will list those targets within the programme which gave rise to the concerns about a lack of progress expressed by the Minister of State in his oral answer on 3 April,Official Report, column 373. [29079]

Mr. Hanley

A copy of the transition programme, as announced by the General Abacha on 1 October 1995, has been placed in the Library of the house.

We are not satisfied that the non-party elections held in March were free or fair. We are concerned by the introduction of new decrees which further extend the powers of the regime to control political activity and by the continued detention of opposition figures.