Suspension Of Nigeria From The Commonwealth

EDM number 203 in 1996-97, proposed by Tony Lloyd on 18/11/1996.

That this House notes that a year has passed since the Auckland Communique of the Commonwealth Heads of Government announced the suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth pending compliance with the principles of the Harare Declaration; further notes that the Auckland Communique stated that Nigeria would be expelled from the Commonwealth unless these principles were complied with; notes that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group fact finding mission to Nigeria began its visit on 18th November; further notes that in the year since the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni environmental activists the human rights situation in Nigeria has deteriorated, that Kudirat Abiola, the wife of Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election, was murdered on 4th June, and that the Nigerian authorities have failed to contradict the allegations that the murder was committed by agents thought to be working on behalf of the Nigerian authorities, that prominent figures, including Chief Moshood Abiola, General Olusegun and Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, remain amongst political prisoners, some kept in harsh prison conditions, that 19 Ogonis remain imprisoned without trial on the same charges as Ken Saro Wiwa and that the military junta has instigated no practical moves towards democracy in Nigeria; urges the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group Mission to demand to see political prisoners with no restrictions and further urges the Commonwealth to take immediate and effective action to put pressure on the Nigerian military regime to improve human rights and speed up the transition to democracy.

This motion has been signed by a total of 47 MPs.