Much ado about IBB
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- Category: Comments
- Written by Within the Nation Kabir Mato
- Hits: 583
In the last few weeks, many Nigerians have expressed their support and solidarity with the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida for his decision to run for the presidency of Nigeria in 2011. I am aware that there exists several groups and individuals that have since 1999 made concerted efforts to convince IBB to feature on the electoral platform of Nigeria, but most
a times they ended up disappointed as he never showed up, the closest was in 2007 before he issued a formal announcement of withdrawal from the nation’s presidential race on the grounds that Umaru was his younger brother and General Aliyu Muhammed, a close associate and the two were in the race.
Now that the nation’s presidency is in a state of crisis, there seem to be a very sharp divide between the acting president in the villa and the governors of the 36 states of Nigeria who definitely are the political tusk bearers in the Nigerian federation whether anybody likes it or not, they will continue to call the shots in their respective enclaves because they determine who and which directions the delegates in any national, state and even local government elections go.
Again, out of what seem to be the desperation to appear on the ballot in next year’s election, the acting president and his strategists have further expanded the horizon of confusion by engaging the national working committee of their party in a fierce battle to remove the party chairman and possibly other members of the committee. The reason is certainly not far away from an earlier pronouncement by the party following the sensationalism of Dora Akunyilli on the health of the substantive president and the share lust to bury Yar’adua alive so that another cabal may dictate the tune of national politics and economics.
To be fair to the acting president, in one of his interviews while on a state visit to the United States recently, he appeared rather blunt when he said that he did not know what his future in the 2011 elections would be. He opened up to the possibility of even serving as a vice president to another president. This is humility. This is the Goodluck Jonathan that I know and not the one that is been driven by power mongers to aggravate the deepening of political crisis and emasculate freewill in the country.
In any case, our concern this week is primarily on the stiff agitations from not unexpected quarters against the declaration or simply put muting of interest by General Babangida to appear on the presidential ballot in 2011. Some individuals from across the country have began a revisit of some strategies that were used at one point or the other to cast aspersions on the personality of Ibrahim Babangida. In as much as I am not employed to do any public relations bidding for the General, as a Nigerian and a principal stakeholder in the nation’s political enterprise, I have the right to chip in my views on the debate and to take sides as I wish because I pay my tax, I am an obedient and loyal citizen of Nigeria and part of those who desire and work towards a better Nigeria and system.
What is normal in all the issues raised against IBB are routine in my view. There is nothing new of substance that anybody has brought to clearly show Nigerians why IBB should not aspire to be anything again in this country. If it is just because he was a military president for eight years and so he should give chance to others who have never been to become, then, the essence of politics and democracy are under threat.
Since when has the right to rule become a matter of turn by turn? Yes, agreed that those noisy Nigerians have made it mandatory that the nation’s top leadership must be rotated amongst the various groups in the country, but why would anybody think that those who were there can never be there again? This thinking is pedestrian and selfish.
Those who are saying no to an IBB candidature are only exercising their freedom as guaranteed by the constitution just as I am expressing mine saying there is nothing wrong if IBB decides to run; after all, most of those who make the loudest noise are too elitist to the extent that they live far outside the society. They only claim they speak for the people but in reality have since delinked with the reality under which the people are living.
I wish Gani Fawehinmi was alive. The agitation would have been more entertaining but again that would mean little because the way politics is played in the trenches and mountains is a no-go area for most of these arm chair critics who simply draw inspiration from the false premise of history.
More than ten years after the return to civil rule, the nation’s democracy is still facing tremendous challenges due to poor or weak leadership. Obasanjo’s eight years were wasted because the man was crude and ill prepared to understanding the rhyme of national demands in the face of very huge national income. He played a poor drama and left the nation with a sick leadership that has since become a national tragedy.
In the last almost three years of Yar’adua presidency, the problem wasn’t indiscipline but the fact of life. The president was and is still battling with his health while the nation groans in pains and lack of direction. Even after the doctrine of necessity was hatched by the national parliament, the political leadership is too busy plotting how to perpetuate itself and the result is that the nation again is in pains and groaning for leadership.
What we will need in 2011 is a complete break away from this epileptic politicking and journey so that Nigerians may begin to see what civil rule and democracy means in proper context and not this derailment that has sscharacterized the nation in the past many years.
The focus of Nigerians must be on who is likely to set the nation on the right course. It is certainly not possible to achieve total objectives in just four years but it is a sufficient period to set goals and refocus the nation into the possible path of growth and development. If IBB is in a position to do that, let him come out. Why should anybody feel threatened?
Articles
Much ado about IBB
Category: Comments Written by Within the Nation Kabir Mato Hits: 583
In the last few weeks, many Nigerians have expressed their support and solidarity with the former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida for his decision to run for the presidency of Nigeria in 2011. I am aware that there exists several groups and individuals that have since 1999 made concerted efforts to convince IBB to feature on the electoral platform of Nigeria, but most
a times they ended up disappointed as he never showed up, the closest was in 2007 before he issued a formal announcement of withdrawal from the nation’s presidential race on the grounds that Umaru was his younger brother and General Aliyu Muhammed, a close associate and the two were in the race.
Now that the nation’s presidency is in a state of crisis, there seem to be a very sharp divide between the acting president in the villa and the governors of the 36 states of Nigeria who definitely are the political tusk bearers in the Nigerian federation whether anybody likes it or not, they will continue to call the shots in their respective enclaves because they determine who and which directions the delegates in any national, state and even local government elections go.
Again, out of what seem to be the desperation to appear on the ballot in next year’s election, the acting president and his strategists have further expanded the horizon of confusion by engaging the national working committee of their party in a fierce battle to remove the party chairman and possibly other members of the committee. The reason is certainly not far away from an earlier pronouncement by the party following the sensationalism of Dora Akunyilli on the health of the substantive president and the share lust to bury Yar’adua alive so that another cabal may dictate the tune of national politics and economics.
To be fair to the acting president, in one of his interviews while on a state visit to the United States recently, he appeared rather blunt when he said that he did not know what his future in the 2011 elections would be. He opened up to the possibility of even serving as a vice president to another president. This is humility. This is the Goodluck Jonathan that I know and not the one that is been driven by power mongers to aggravate the deepening of political crisis and emasculate freewill in the country.
In any case, our concern this week is primarily on the stiff agitations from not unexpected quarters against the declaration or simply put muting of interest by General Babangida to appear on the presidential ballot in 2011. Some individuals from across the country have began a revisit of some strategies that were used at one point or the other to cast aspersions on the personality of Ibrahim Babangida. In as much as I am not employed to do any public relations bidding for the General, as a Nigerian and a principal stakeholder in the nation’s political enterprise, I have the right to chip in my views on the debate and to take sides as I wish because I pay my tax, I am an obedient and loyal citizen of Nigeria and part of those who desire and work towards a better Nigeria and system.
What is normal in all the issues raised against IBB are routine in my view. There is nothing new of substance that anybody has brought to clearly show Nigerians why IBB should not aspire to be anything again in this country. If it is just because he was a military president for eight years and so he should give chance to others who have never been to become, then, the essence of politics and democracy are under threat.
Since when has the right to rule become a matter of turn by turn? Yes, agreed that those noisy Nigerians have made it mandatory that the nation’s top leadership must be rotated amongst the various groups in the country, but why would anybody think that those who were there can never be there again? This thinking is pedestrian and selfish.
Those who are saying no to an IBB candidature are only exercising their freedom as guaranteed by the constitution just as I am expressing mine saying there is nothing wrong if IBB decides to run; after all, most of those who make the loudest noise are too elitist to the extent that they live far outside the society. They only claim they speak for the people but in reality have since delinked with the reality under which the people are living.
I wish Gani Fawehinmi was alive. The agitation would have been more entertaining but again that would mean little because the way politics is played in the trenches and mountains is a no-go area for most of these arm chair critics who simply draw inspiration from the false premise of history.
More than ten years after the return to civil rule, the nation’s democracy is still facing tremendous challenges due to poor or weak leadership. Obasanjo’s eight years were wasted because the man was crude and ill prepared to understanding the rhyme of national demands in the face of very huge national income. He played a poor drama and left the nation with a sick leadership that has since become a national tragedy.
In the last almost three years of Yar’adua presidency, the problem wasn’t indiscipline but the fact of life. The president was and is still battling with his health while the nation groans in pains and lack of direction. Even after the doctrine of necessity was hatched by the national parliament, the political leadership is too busy plotting how to perpetuate itself and the result is that the nation again is in pains and groaning for leadership.
What we will need in 2011 is a complete break away from this epileptic politicking and journey so that Nigerians may begin to see what civil rule and democracy means in proper context and not this derailment that has sscharacterized the nation in the past many years.
The focus of Nigerians must be on who is likely to set the nation on the right course. It is certainly not possible to achieve total objectives in just four years but it is a sufficient period to set goals and refocus the nation into the possible path of growth and development. If IBB is in a position to do that, let him come out. Why should anybody feel threatened?