My attention has been drawn to the report titled “2007: Babangida woos senators” from ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja correspondent and published online in THE SUN, Thursday, November 16, 2006. The self-styled former military President for 8 years who frustrated the hope of Nigerian electorates to embrace another promising era of democracy was shown in a picture adorned in his Green-White-Green Babanriga and head gear to match.
What is Babangida up to, by writing a letter to “principal officers of the Senate, as well as senators, intimating them of his intention to succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo, even as he declared that relevant experience and tested patriotic commitment to the cause of Nigeria are his credentials?” I beg your pardon, from precedence and posterity, what is meant by patriotism and credentialing when we are talking of a personality as Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd)? Are the National Assemblymen to determine for the entire nation who becomes next President? Did he intend to intimidate those distinguished lawmakers? Never shall his machinations prosper this time around.
Have we forgotten so soon the different manners through which the lives of several promising middle career military personnel were wasted during IBB’s regime? Is this not the same man that threw the concerted efforts of Nigerian democrats into the bin through his corny proscription of 23 political Associations? Is this not the same IBB that clandestinely imposed 2 political parties (SDP and NRC) on Nigerians? Have we forgotten his devilish annulment of results of June 12 Presidential Election that was adjudged freest and fairest in the history of political transition in Nigeria on 23 June, 1993? The man played on the intelligence of all Nigerians through his declaration of “stepping-aside” at his pull-off from the Military on 26 August 1992. He christened himself “Evil-genius” on his personal assessment of his wit. He is popularly referred to also as “Maradona”, being a master dribbler – someone that you hardly can predict. He was the man that institutionalized corruption in Nigerian system, the epidemic that is still being battled against by the present administration.
At the time of death of the former military junta Gen. Abacha (deaf and dumb Head of State), IBB was the Kingmaker on the succession game that ensued as he nominated Gen. Abdulsalaam Abubakar in place of Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni. He was also a fore-runner in the succession plan that gave the Presidential ticket on the Platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to General Obasanjo (rtd.) in 1999. This time around, the man is trying to play God through his second coming as Nigeria’s President. God forbid!
As the race to the 2007 presidential elections hots up, the former military president and an aspirant on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), should be prepare for the greatest calamity that he can best imagine as a boomerang of his suicidal decision of the June 12 1993 annulment of Presidential election result. Nigeria has never remained the same since then. As atonement for peace, his present ambition will surely pave way for a re-incarnation of that “Annulment Saga”. This is never a curse but sheer ‘Nemesis’.
IBB has seen himself as being above the law and above everybody in Nigeria. He shunned the invitation of Nigerians to him to appear at the Oputa Panel in 2000 and without remorse, he is not ashamed to put himself forth to seek the mandate of the Nigerian electorates again.
Fellow Nigerians, for the betterment of our future and those of generations to come, let us be UNITED in our opposition of the candidacy of an “Evil –genius”. Let us tell this greedy and stylishly wicked personality that Nigeria is on the path of re-birth and its Presidency is not for sale any longer. We cannot tolerate the guts of such misfits and cabals that his personality represents at the helm of our political affairs in the coming dispensation. That is not to shun the collection of ill-gotten wealth that the man will lavish to get cheap votes. All we need is to prevent the man from getting the Party nomination as its flagbearer. His candidacy is a re-incarnation of a previous annulment of Presidential Election in the land hence needs be annulled before going too far also, as we do not deserve to learn from his kind of “wealth of experience”.
Ayo Onatola hails from Ikenne and currently resides in the United Kingdom.
