The Citizens For Nigeria (CFN), the organization behind Againstbabangida.com, comprising Nigerians from across the world, has directly written Nigeria’s former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, asking him to withdraw his bid for Nigeria’s presidency in 2007. The letter, sent from the United States by DHL, was received Thursday night by the dictator's son, Mohammed, in Minna, DHL records show.
Againstbabangida.com told the general it was better he stayed away from politics, as he was a danger to Nigeria’s democracy.
The group is also buying spaces in major newspapers and broadcast stations to tell Nigerians that Mr. Babangida, whose annulment of the most widely-accepted election in Nigeria in 1993 created a festering political instability, was unfit to participate in the democratic process.
The CFN’s message, was also sent by DHL with a cover note to President Olusegun Obasanjo. Other recipients include the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, religious leaders, embassies of foreign missions in Nigeria, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and various news organizations in Nigeria, Europe and the United States.
Read the letter as sent to Babangida
In the letter titled, “Warning to Discontinue Your Presidential Bid,” the group remarked that while it respected the right of every Nigerian under the constitution to participate in the political process, Babangida’s records in his eight years as an unelected military head of state of Nigeria is unsatisfactory and worrisome, adding that his participation constitutes a mockery of democracy. It noted that the General’s presidential bid would pollute the political environment and” litter the nation with massive political garbage whose social implications are even too depressing to contemplate.”
The CFN wrote Babangida: “Right under your supervision, Nigeria’s currency lost most of its value. The percentage of devaluation between 1985, when the naira had more value than the dollar, and 1993 when you left office, has never been matched. With you in control, the economy took a nose dive, even as a multitude of social programs you introduced, such as SAP, MAMSER, DFRRI and Peoples’ Bank were never able to redeem Nigeria’s economy from sinking into paralysis. Under your administration, billions of dollars remain unaccounted for and the financial system collapsed just before you stepped aside in 1993.
”Human rights existed only in your take over national addresses, as you closed more media houses than any other leader in Nigeria’s history. Freedom of the press and freedom of expression were non-existent during your regime. Military officers who directly reported to you under the military structure were allegedly responsible for the murder of a national icon and journalist, Dele Giwa, on October 19, 1986. It is public knowledge that Dele Giwa was murdered by a letter bomb. The significance of this is that the adopted method was a single dastardly event completely alien to Nigeria at that time and remains unmatched to date. You have resisted every attempt to find the killers. International correspondents of foreign media houses and university lecturers of other nationalities were deported for voicing opinions contrary to your wishes. On various occasions, you did not hesitate to order gun-wielding soldiers to kill protesting Nigerians on the streets when they exercised their constitutionally-protected freedom of expression.”
Another reason Babangida lacks any presidential credential, the CFN points out, is that during his regime, he appointed cronies to manage national affairs and covered up on serious cases of gross misconduct among his appointed officials and family. “Drug dealers and narcotic traffickers were virtually protected from justice, and drugs seized by your officials disappeared in custody even in the face of the court. Fraudsters prospered under your command and the despicable “419” syndrome took shape right under your nose. In the pharmaceutical industry, the importation of fake/expired medicines took center stage during your reign with untold consequences. Our education system, the single most important vehicle of knowledge common amongst all advanced nations, was also in ruins with universities closed for several months at a time. Ethics lost its place in national character and Nigeria became the foremost rogue nation in the world under your stewardship. Instead of transparency, decency, honesty and sincerity of purpose through leadership by good example, you institutionalized corruption, complacency, deception and decadence in national life.”
It added that Babangida defied civilized expectations in 1993 when he annulled the most powerful collective expression of the people, the June 12, 1993 national election. “That selfish, wanton and illegal annulment of the expressed electoral wish of all Nigerians is the greatest harm ever done to Nigeria by any leader. There is therefore absolutely no democratic credential to your credit. By so doing, you disqualified yourself summarily by lacking the trust required from anyone aspiring to lead a country as complex and diverse as Nigeria at this critical juncture in our history.
”You damaged Nigeria politically, economically, socially and ethically. Single-handedly, you enlisted Nigeria in an international religious body and jeopardized the secularity of the nation. The wounds you inflicted have not fully healed. Your ambition constitutes a mockery of the democratic process, the same very system of governance you vehemently opposed by all means at your disposal. Nigerians have not forgotten who you are. The great scientist Albert Einstein said “Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result”. We are not a nation of morons.
Babangida, the group continued, has not shown he had any respect for democracy because he defied and stopped the Justice Oputa Panel, which was a forum for national reconciliation. When the former ruler was given to participate an unprecedented opportunity to clarify issues of national importance at the panel, the CFN maintained, Babangida refused to humble himself and participate in that very respected panel. “Instead you went to court to challenge the authority of the panel. The verdict of the Oputa panel is also an indictment of your present campaign to be president. It is far more important that you dwell on how to redeem your horrendous legacy than pursue your current campaign to bring yourself back to power somehow.
“Remember that every tyrant in history had his followers. Therefore, do not consider in the least that those around you are proof of support for your ill-advised ambition. We bring to your attention the fact that it is with this same group of people that you stirred the ship of state to the brink of self destruction and established a reputation as one who is inherently deceptive.
”Your actions so far are becoming a grave and gathering danger to the survival, peace and security of Nigeria and by extension world peace and stability. In the interest of the nation and generations unborn we strongly advise you heed these warnings. You are not what Nigeria needs. You have done too much damage to be of any political value to our hard-earned democratic system and national destiny.”
In the copy sent to President Olusegun Obasanjo, the CFN added a note, which reads:
Please find attached your copy of the letter sent by our group, Citizens for Nigeria (CFN), an inter-continental group of Nigerian professionals, to former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, in response to his declaration to contest the presidency during your tenure as the elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While your Excellency is obligated to safeguard the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we consider General Babangida’s participation a very serious threat to the survival of Nigeria as a nation. General Babangida’s past records clearly demonstrate he is someone who is arrogantly power thirsty, has traits of tyranny and obviously anti-democratic as detailed in our letter to him.
It is solely on this basis that we strongly oppose General Babangida’s participation in Nigeria’s nascent democracy. The Nigerian state at this point in her development deserves a lot better than a repeat of the dark days of the Babangida administration. We are also cognizant of the fact that some of the intractable issues faced by your administration have been significantly so because of the insurmountable burden you inherited from the misguided adventure of General Babangida.
We urge you to view our letter and actions as being out of love for our dear motherland as well as the need to hear the voiceless majority. It is our hope, based on your experience and steadfast commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria, that you will use the goodwill of your office to guarantee that our joint aspirations as Nigerians are jealously protected long after the departure of your administration."
President Obasanjo's copy is scheduled to be delivered on Monday, December 4, 2006, by DHL.
The Citizens for Nigeria is following up on its campaign by releasing a series of newspaper and radio advertisements designed to rally Nigerians against the presidential bid of Mr. Babangida.
Earlier, the group had bought newspaper space to counter the efforts of Mr. Babangida’s supporters on his birthday last August 17, detailing the various ways by which the general had created problems for Nigeria.
So far, the group is the leading opposition group against retired military rulers who have trooped out in large numbers to join the political process only a few years after military rule had become anachronistic in the Nigerian society.
