As the United States dispatches Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents to Nigeria to join the battle to unmask the architects of the Abuja bombings, Evil Genius, Ibrahim Babangida, quickly sought to redirect attention from himself as the planner of the bombing. Babangida is believed to be very unhappy, having lost the bid to contest the presidency on the platform of the ruling party, and he is being rumored, along with presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar, as masterminds of the crime.

Feeling not so secure, Babangida raised alarm over alleged plot to implicate him. Speaking through one Kassim Afegbua, who issued a statement in Abuja, the former dictator said: "General Ibrahim Babangida is utterly surprised at the deliberate ploy to link him with the spate of wanton bombings that have created palpable fear in the land. This, to him, amounts to sheer blackmail. It exposes the weakness in the system, if private persons and former leaders who are enjoying their retirement are being linked to acts of terrorism or bombings.

One-time dictator, Mr. Ibrahim Babangida, got a scathing reply on his threat to quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if the party shuns zoning - he should quit or accept the party’s decision. Media and Publicity Committee head of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign, Mr. Sully Abu,said: “The Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation sympathises with IBB’s predicament. Having lost to Atiku in their so-called consensus arrangement, he must have been thrown into confusion and desperation at the prospects of impending political oblivion.

“Clutching at the straw of zoning seems attractive to a drowning man. But regional jingoism is unsuited for a man who once held the highest office in the land. IBB should learn to live with his changing political fortune and not further diminish himself by playing games which only political novices should play.  If he wants to go to another party, he does not need to blackmail anyone to do so. He should just go. The PDP has taken a decision on zoning and rotation; IBB can either live with it or leave the party.”

Ibrahim Babangida has threatened to pull out of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the 2011 Presidential election if the PDP failed to zone power to his region. He stopped short of saying if he would contest, but this had been expected since he lost the regional slot in the PDP. It is strongly opined that Babangida is already planning to continue is tiring run for power in another political party after being beaten flat by Mr. Atiku Abubakar in a regional contest for the PDP presidential slot. 

"“If the Party has become so helpless in the face of these gross violations of its own constitution by its officers and its highest elected representative, then many of us shall have no alternative but to reconsider our continued membership of the Party." he confessed.

Former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, is set to dump the zoning arrangement which led to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as consensus candidate of the Alhaji Adamu Ciroma led Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) on November 22. Indications emerged during the week that Babangida’s camp is unhappy with recent findings that some of the parties to the consensus arrangement went behind to influence the final verdict of the committee and public opinion.

The Evil Genius is, therefore, rethinking his earlier declaration that he would abide by the verdict of the zoning committee.

Have a rethink if you think the Evil Genius is out of national life.  Ibrahim Babangida, the unrepentant dictator, failed to foreclose his political ambition in his acceptance of the sectional pick of Abubakar Atiku as the Northern Candidate for presidential election. Although IBB said he would abide by the decision of the Consensus Committee of the Northern Political Leaders Forum on the choice of ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the Northern candidate for the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he also plans to rebound, in characteristic doublespeak.

Read the dialogue with journalists...