General Ibrahim Babangida is about to become a political pigmy after the PDP national convention next weekend, and the General is very afraid. Indications are that he will be demystified and shrink significantly after the convention, and Babangida is hurried looking for a way to save the impending implosion of political estate.
The Peoples Democratic Party is begining the screening of its presidential aspirants this week, and the criteria are so insurmontable that Babangida has decided to run rather than fight. Babangida does not intend to participate in the screening, since it is becoming increasingly obvious he could not meet the prerequisites, hence he has decided to quit the PDP.
There had been talks that the Akinola committee might disqualify Babangida from the race over both the Pius Okigbo Panel report which indicted his administration for mismanaging the $12bn oil windfall the country earned during the 1991 Gulf War and the report of the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, otherwise known as the Oputa Panel.
The commission had in its report also recommended that Babangida and his two security chiefs - Brig.-Gen. Halilu Akilu and Colonel A.K. Togun- be made to explain their roles in the death of the late Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch , Mr. Dele Giwa, through a letter bomb.
For refusing to appear before it, the panel said Babangida should be considered to have surrendered his right to govern Nigeria and Nigerians at any other time in the future.
The Director of Publicity of the Babangida Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr. Venatius Ikem, however, said the former military president decided to quit the PDP after uncovering a plot to disqualify him from the presidential race.
Although Ikem declined to name the alternative platform being considered by Babangida for the 2007 presidential poll, our correspondent learnt that he was considering the National Democratic Party, the Democratic Peoples Party and the United Nigeria Congress Party.
Ibrahim Babangida's decision to quit the PDP has thrown his friends and political associates into disquiet.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. John Odey, said the screening ahead of the December 16 primaries would start immediately after the inauguration of the Presidential Aspirant Screening Committee at the party‘s national secretariat at 10 am in Abuja.
Thisday reports further that there were strong indications that Babangida, has already resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the weekend, and was forced to quit the party by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Apart from demanding a letter of resignation from Babangida after the former infantry general chose to leave, Obasanjo was said to have dispatched a presidential jet to Minna to fetch the written communication.
Babangida, according to THISDAY checks, had sought from the President a waiver from today's screening of PDP presidential aspirants by the Presidential Screening Comm-ittee headed by Chief Bayo Akinola, a request that was turned down.
Instead of a presidential waiver, according to impecable sources, Obasanjo at a meeting between the duo last Thursday presented Babangida with three options that were like Hobson’s choice.
The three options Obasanjo gave Babangida were: one, to join the queue of other presidential aspirants and be screened; two, to remain in the party as a chieftain and forget any presidential ambition he may habour; and three, to take an alternative platform.
It was gathered that Babangida rejected the first option apparently unsure of what the outcome would be in a season when many aspirants are being disqualified without any reason given. He was also said that having decided to seek the presidency, he could not at this point chicken out, prefering instead to run regardless of what the outcome would be.
Not wanting to take chances, Babangida was said to have settled for option three, citing the need to provide leadership and a platform for his followers who are desirous of his return to power in 2007.
It was learnt that Obasanjo, who in the course of the meeting had tried to be conciliatory without shifting grounds, agreed to Babangida’s decision to seek the presidency on the platform of another party outside the PDP.
The meeting was said to have lasted three hours after which Babangida decided to tender his letter of resignation from the PDP to Obasanjo who goes by the official title of 'leader of the party' rather than to the PDP National Chairman, Senator Ahmadu Ali.
It was gathered that the presidential jet sent to Minna on Saturday to pick up Babangida’s letter of resignation from the PDP touched down at 2.30 p.m. and departed at 4.35 p.m.
Babangida, it was further gathered, did not disclose the platform on which he has decided to run to Obasanjo when the president tried to lead him on by asking jocularly whether he (IBB) was going to contest on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).
THISDAY learnt that between Thursday and yesterday, Babangida had launched into a series of consultative meetings with his close associates to perfect the new road map to his 2007 presidential contest. There were clear indications that he may have decided to prosecute his presidential ambition on the platform of the NDP under the chairmanship of Second Republic Minister of State for Transport, Alhaji Aliyu Habu-Fari. He was said to have held a two-hour meeting with the NDP Chairman at his Hilltop Mansion as part of the new arrangements to give political direction to his supporters.
In confirmation of his readiness to go the whole hog in respect of the presidential election, Babangida had told THISDAY in an exclusive interview in August this year that he would rather lose the presidential election than chicken out of it.
The President is believed to be indisposed to the 2007 aspiration of Babangida and had relayed his position to the latter even before he collected and returned the nomination forms of the PDP. A terse communication issued by the General to his key campaign arrowheads, which THISDAY scooped, indicated that Babangida quit because of what he considers a moral dilemma in contesting for the PDP ticket with some of those whom he considers his subordinates.
By this development, Babangida may use the occasion of a planned press conference on Wednesday to announce his withdrawal from the PDP race even as he and most of his supporters are not likely to be at the PDP national convention this Saturday.
The 10-man screening committee, headed by Chief Bayo Akinola and former Senate President Joseph Wayas and Chief Evan Enwerem begins screening presidential aspirants at the PDP secretariat at 10 am.
The aspirants are: Governors Umaru Yar‘Adua (Katsina); Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom); Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Peter Odili (Rivers); Adamu Muazu (Bauchi); Donald Duke (Cross River); Abdullahi Adamu (Nassarawa); Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna); Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu); and Achike Udenwa (Imo).
Also in the race are a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Aliyu Gusau; former military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Marwa; Maj.-Gen. Mamman Kontagora; former Chiefs of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd.) and Admiral Mike Akhigbe (rtd).
Others are a former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana; Chief Rochas Okorochas; Ambassador Ralph Uwechue; Dr. Andrewus Sawa; Chief Albert Horsfall; Mrs. Sarah Jibril; Mrs. Mercy Onyeka; Mr. Dennis Eheduru; Ambassador Elizabeth Ogbon-Day; Mrs. Ibrahim Hadiza Golen; Mr. Godson Nnaka; Mrs. Mary Olutimayin;and Dr. Zeb Abule.
The National Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Umaru Dahiru, who said the screening would end on Tuesday, assured the aspirants that they would be fairly treated by the panel.
Dahiru said,” They(aspirants) should expect justice but they should accept whatever is the outcome with calmness.”
The result of the screening is expected to be released on Wednesday. Those dissatisfied with the outcome would have Thursday to appeal.
According to Article 4 of the PDP‘s Electoral Guidelines, a copy of the result of the screening shall be announced and shall be prominently displayed at the National Secretariat of the party.
Going by the PDP electoral guidelines, a presidential aspirant can only be disqualified if he or she fails to show evidence of payment of personal income tax for the last three years; and presents a false birth certificate or declaration of age.
An aspirant also stands to be disqualified if he or she is a member of a secret society; has been indicted for any misconduct; has been dismissed from the public service or from any employment in the public or private sector or has been adjudged guilty of treason or treasonable felony by any court in Nigeria.
Those who have been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction; adjudged to be lunatic or of unsound mind; adjudged to be bankrupt or found not to be a member of the PDP for the past two years will also not be eligible to participate in the presidential primaries.
A party source, however, said some of the aspirants could be disqualified for lack of political experience; non-payment of party dues; unsatisfactory answers to questions from the screening panel; discrepancies in documents submitted with nomination forms; perceived disloyalty to the party; and political expediency.
There were indications in Abuja on Sunday that President Olusegun Obasanjo and 14 governors were backing Yar‘Adua.
Obasanjo is said to have settled for Yar‘Adua after considering his antecedent, personality and performance record of the governor.
Our source said, ”The President believes it is better to handover to a man with unblemished record. Here is a man who does not give in to frivolity. He has built over 500 kilometres of road in his state, yet he does not make noise about it.
”He has no single case before the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and he has a mind of his own.”
