We now have details of how the Evil Genius, General Ibrahim Babangida, crash-landed in his flight to use the “One Man One Vote” rally in Benin to bolster his 2011 presidential aspiration. Babangida was shocked by deep-seated anger against him and promptly aborted his planned campaign stops by lying that he had pains in his leg. Sunday Tribune reports that the plot by his supporters failed because of hostile reception by the civil society in the inside rooms of the Governor's house and on the floor of the event.
It was gathered that IBB insiders had planned that his attendance at the Benin would close the ranks between the former military president and the civil society, and launch him as a veritable aspirant for the 2011 presidential election.It was, however, gathered that the former military president backed out of the campaign bid having received a shocking treatment from activists and other speakers at the event.
A source at the event said that IBB had to tell Edo State governor that his radiculopathy ailment appeared to have recurred and that his legs were failing him when it was time for him to deliver the campaign speech.
Sources said that though Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had extended invitations to all former heads of state and presidents, as well as governors, Babangida’s tacticians had discovered that only IBB would make it to the rally.
A source said that former head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari had written to the Edo State governor to excuse himself from the rally, especially after it was postponed from mid April, following Oshiomhole’s inability to return from London as a result of the volcanic ash eruptions which disrupted flight operations worldwide.
Investigations also revealed that immediately it became apparent that Babangida was going to be the biggest fish at the rally, his publicists designed that he would attend the event and deliver a speech that would practically launch him into the presidential race.
But another hitch cropped up, insiders told the Sunday Tribune when the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who was also billed to attend the event as chairman, he declined when it became apparent that Babangida’s men had planned to use the programme as a launch pad for his 2011 aspirations.
Sources further disclosed that unknown to Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and the Action Congress (AC) delegation led by the former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, who protested the plan to make Mark chairman of the occasion, Babangida was already in the Government House, Benin waiting to attend the event.
While Tinubu and other AC members returned from the airport on hearing of Babangida’s presence at the event, Soyinka had to practically discover the General’s presence.
A source in the state said that Soyinka had gone to the Government House, Benin only to discover that IBB was already seated in one of the sitting rooms.
A source said that IBB received the first shock when he saw the anger in Soyinka upon the discovery that the former dictator was in Benin.
A source said that the Nobel Laureate wondered aloud why Oshiomhole “conned” him into an unholy company and that the governor had allowed him to waste his time.
Though Soyinka was said to have greeted the governors and other people in the sitting room, he shunned IBB and left the state in annoyance.
He was said to have wondered aloud who was bringing a dictator to the gathering.
“Soyinka went to a room in the Government House and was utterly angry. He uttered all sorts of words in anger and told a friend standing close and said: Adams conned him to Benin to go and hobnob with dictators. Why did he not tell me that dictators were coming? I would have spent my time on better things,” the Nobel Laureate was quoted as saying.
But a bigger shock awaited IBB at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of the event.
A source said that IBB insiders had expected that he would be hailed upon his entry into the Stadium but that while the crowd hailed the representative of the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the five governors of the South South who attended the ceremony, the crowd was not enthusiastic when IBB’s name was announced.
That shock was said to have been compounded when civil right activists started lambasting IBB speaker after speaker.
It was Hassan Sunmonu who fired the first salvo, then Festus Keyamo, the fiery Lagos lawyer and then Dr. Joe Okei odumakin the Chairman of Campaign for Democracy(CD), all of them demanding explanations as to why IBB annulled the June 12 1993 presidential election described as the freest and fairest in the country.
“Following the series of attacks on him, IBB started whispering to governor Oshiomhole that his legs were failing him. Ibb was billed to speak at the event and launch his presidential ambition. But he told the governor that his legs were paining him and the he could not walk the less than 100 meter space between the podium and the state box,” a source who monitored the event said.
Another source further stated: “IBB was billed to speak at the event, he could not do so following the series of attacks that deflated the planned heroic entry he had projected in Benin.
“He came to test the political temperature to see how he will be received but it turned out the other way round, even now, some governors of the South South who are planning to run with him were jolted and they immediately started reviewing their association with the General.
I can see he was severely shocked and he could not stand up to deliver his speech within 100 meters of the podium.”
