General Ibrahim Babangida, the artful Nigerian dictator who ruled the country for eight grueling years, is struggling to put his crumbling world in order, as his dynasty is crashing under various crises at a time he most needed to be strong.
Always a political animal, even when in military uniform, Babangida casts a tricky eye on Nigeria's presidential seat, having planned intricately for years, but now that he is publicly known to be a presidential candidate, his political acumen is failing him, and the artificial aura of Excellency he had built around himself is fast dissipating.
First, his impregnability from official probe of his past deeds is no longer valid, as government agencies now seem at ease washing IBB's dirty linen in the public. The EFCC, the financial crimes agency of government, demystified Babangida's clan by dragging Mohammed, the dictator's first son, to its offices to ask him how he got so much money. It is the very first time the Babangidas would fall under the searchlight of government officials looking for stolen public funds.Secondly, there is the indefatigable Mrs. Safiya Vatsa, who, from nowhere, launched herself into national reckoning by accusing the former military ruler of killing her husband, the late General Mamman Vatsa, for no other reason but mischief. Mrs. Vatsa strongly claims she has documents to proof that the dictator was only shedding crocodile tears, and that there was never sufficient proof that her husband ever plotted any coup.
The background for the Vatsa case had been laid a few months before when the former Chief of Defense Staff, General Domkat Bali, granted a media interview in which he said in retrospective, he could not be sure Vatsa committed any offence.
Thirdly, civil rights and democracy advocates, led by againstbabangida.com have been mounting very sophisticated campaign, which are now sensitizing the public to dangers posed by the ambition of the former dictator. A group believed to be based in the North carried several episodes of a documentary program on AIT television damaging to Babangida. Againstbabangida.com also carried newspaper advert telling Nigerians to beware of him. Activists such as Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi, Shehu Sani and Femi Falana have not relented in attacking the Maradona.
The preponderance of information exposing the evil genius now seem to be paying off, as Nigerians, waking up to the reality of another bad day under his presidency, are showing courage to challenge Babangida for his past records. Equally, government officials have been emboldened as the nation hits a season of courage to demand questions that have not previously been possible to ask about Babangida's tutelage.
The media is now rife with stories that could not be carried before. For instance, a report which Againstbabangida.com had carried for over one year detailing the extent of Babangida's wealth has now been published by Daily Sun.
Essays about Babangida's misrule have become daily reality on the page of newspapers, no longer afraid to report what the public had been yearning for. Influential commentators now write articles that mince no words about the dismal record of Babangida's regime.
Fourthly, his adopted party, the PDP, has rolled out new requirements for its presidential hopefuls, laying down such guidelines as would be interpreted to tell Babangida to kiss the presidency a good bye. Among the prerequisites is the need to prove that candidates must have respected human rights and the rule of law, the very sore points in IBB's past.
All of a sudden, IBB is now a goldfish with no hiding place. Under pressure, Babangida has uncharacteristically admitted to weakness, claiming he was being victimized by the Obasanjo administration and ordinary Nigerians to undermine his political ambition.
His powerful strategist, Ahmed Adekunle Makama, said the General had lost confidence in the leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as far as 2007 presidential elections were concerned. He called into question the fairness of the current administration to ensure a level playing field for all candidates for the presidential election.
The EFCC chief agent, Nuhu Ribadu, startled the nation when he asked why Nigerians are surprised that IBB can be made to account for his wealth. Such confidence had never before been mustered in the clamor to try Babangida for his stewardship.
The presidential election has presented IBB with a very difficult challenge. He could not advance nor retreat. He has already said he would contest the election, and it is difficult for the proud general to back up. Yet, the hurdles now standing before him seem insurmountable. Admitting his no retreat no surrender dilemma, Babangida declared recently it would be better for him to contest and lose than run back to his shell in the Hilltop Mansion in Minna, his home town.
So, if Babangida will not retreat, he is fair game to all who have always thought he had been given too much cover by the Obasanjo administration.
In fact, the question is: why has it taken the Obasanjo officials seven long years to open their eyes to Nigeria's silent trouble-maker. All the while, activists had been demanding that it was time to probe IBB. President Olusegun Obasanjo had been careful in his response, even when it was apparent he had no courage to probe the man who sponsored his political campaign.
The failure of the third term bid, believably achieved through Babangida's sponsorship, has ostensibly arrayed the forces of IBB against the forces of OBJ.
Nonetheless, all things are working together for Nigeria and Nigerians, because if Babangida's stolen money were to be recovered, that alone may put Nigeria back on the path of prosperity. He may have stolen as much as $40 billion.
