Never Again to Babangida!

Plans are underway to stop the presidential ambition of the man who annuled the most accepted election in Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida, within his own party. The opponents, according to sources, saw IBB as an opportunist who was coming out now because the coast appeared clear. A source said that when the time was ripe, Babangida would be asked to state the role he played in stabilising the country when the cabal around ailing President Yar’Adua was almost overturning the ship of state.

Sources in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had perfected plans to stop Babangida.

It was gathered that the group was already collaborating with some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to publicise the liabilities of IBB.

“The former military president has two major liabilities. He has not been able to clear himself on the cruel annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. That is a huge crime against the nation. He also has the challenge of clearing himself of the indictment by the Okigbo Panel, which uncovered a lot of dealings in the management of the $12.4 billion oil windfall from the Gulf War of 1990.

A northern group had recently unfolded its plan to ensure the emergence of one of the trio of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and former governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, as the presidential hopeful from the North in 2011.

But el-Rufai had expressed the feeling that he would not hesitate to support the emergence of the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as president in 2011, if he performed to the admiration of the people within a short time.

Sources, however, said that besides the groups already openly canvassing against IBB as a presidential hopeful in 2011, a number of political actors had concluded on the need to stop him.

“We will be asking IBB a number of questions, when he finally shows up in the race for 2011. We will ask him what the people are saying about his criminal annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. How does he want to atone for the loss of innocent lives through the uprising that greeted that needless act of his? We will also be asking him where he kept the  gains of the oil windfall during the Gulf war,” a source stated on Wednesday.

It was also gathered that some political actors, including senators and members of the House of Representatives, met in Abuja on Monday with the decision to stop Babangida’s bid for the presidency.

“I can assure you that if we even have to overlook his earlier offences, the hide and seek role he played before the National Assembly approved the acting presidency  is not pleasant. His men were busy justifying the illegality committed by the cabal in Yar’Adua’s name and he was giving them the support. If the country had gone to blazes, which nation would he be aspiring to govern?” a source asked.

It was gathered that the political actors had concluded plans to ensure that IBB did not emerge the candidate of the PDP for the 2011 elections.

“If he will contest the next election, it will not be on the ticket of the PDP, because we are bent on stopping him,” the source stated.

The group, which is of the view that a young Turk should be presented by the North this time, said that besides other political liabilities, Babangida also did not have age on his side.

The group said that with the nation’s experience with ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua, there was no time to gamble with the state of the nation anymore.

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