Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, may end up being the beneficiary of the raging political crisis and the seeming rot in governance of Nigeria if the wave of local and international pressures on him to contest the 2011 presidential election is anything to count on.



Saturday Tribune gathered during the week that some diplomats from the United States and Britain, who were in the country, had met with the former head of state in Minna and Abuja, entreating him to consider featuring in the next presidential election.

If Babangida eventually agrees to the request, he will be doing so on the understanding that he will be representing northern interest in the election amid doubts that President Yar’Adua will be strong enough to withstand the rigours of contesting the next election.

Some of the foreign diplomats were reported to have met Babangida for the first time when they joined sympathisers who trooped to his Hilltop mansion in Minna to condole with him on the death of his wife, Mariam.

Babangida, who was in Abuja last week, according to findings, hosted well-wishers, said to have opened up to him on their wish to see him return to power in 2011 based on his experience in the rulership of Nigeria and strong belief that he would re-launch a robust governance in Nigeria.

ST can also report that some members of the National Assembly, who were rooting for Babangida to contest the next presidential election, had communicated to him, their interest in offering support if he decided to join the race.

The United States, according to findings, was keen on installing a more experienced Nigerian as the next president of the country, as a way of preventing political uncertainty like one currently arising essentially from the incapacitation of President Yar’Adua.

The sudden interest of the international community in IBB for 2011, it was learnt, presupposed that both Britain and US were now prepared to overlook the blunder of the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election made by the military government he headed, and upon which he was declared persona non-grata by the western countries.

The interest of the western powers in the next presidential election may, however, not be unconnected with the judgment of failure that both the US and Britain had passed on the present civilian government, even amid political uncertainty in the country.

It is not certain yet whether Babangida had agreed to the arrangement to draft him into the presidential race.

Babangida, according to Saturday Tribune’s investigations, had dropped the ambition to contest any presidential election in the country, his last attempt having ended up in failure owing to alleged efforts by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to bar him from the race.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/front-page-articles/438-pressure-on-ibb-to-replace-yaradua-in-2011-us-britain-hold-secret-meetings-with-him.html

US likes to interfere with countrys internal issue i wonder why//
Remeber that johnie carson(right?)Assiatant US secretay of state visited him in minna wonder what they discussed and now this
what does US want anyway are we not terrorist

The end is near tell your people to leave nigeria for there own good because this one na fight to finish.
Ibb become president over my dead body.
We will overcome all these bastards they don't know yet.

story story oh story

US did not tell IBB anything its pure propaganda

If Jonathan is not interested in running he will handover to Donald Duke / El-Rufai

Nigerians should know what they want.

It's not the Americans or the British that determines the futures of our children. They'll never allow the people of 9ja to become more prosperous than them.

Please, let's not think these people love 9ja more than their own countries. They are only playing for their own gains.

Anyways, i remember what happened to Abacha.

To me, an IBB presidency is like a democratic coup. All the bad guys, especially OBJ, will leave Nija for dear life. However, IBB, in my opinion, is d kinda man we need right na. But when did we become such a darling to them white boyz? Anyways, when they finish meeting with IBB let them go and see Iwu. Finally, these people r coming too close for comfort.

If you are flying a kite for IBB, you better hand it back to him! IBB not a bad guy? Wonders shall never cease to happen in this dilapidated nation!

slap1:

To me, an IBB presidency is like a democratic coup. All the bad guys, especially OBJ, will leave Nija for dear life. However, IBB, in my opinion, is d kinda man we need right na. But when did we become such a darling to them white boyz? Anyways, when they finish meeting with IBB let them go and see Iwu. Finally, these people r coming too close for comfort.

Under no conditions should IBB be allowed to return.

There is NO WAY IBB can win in a free and fair election as a civilian president. and America knows that! They know that the only way he can gain win is from rigging.

No one in PDP will vote for him, No one in AC will vote for him, APGA NO,LB No . . .

There americans are saying they want a person who has experienced being head of Nigeria to rule in 2011 WTF type of thinking is that. What of Obama in America- why cant Nigerians have their own NEW fresh president that will restore a new hope in Nigeria of all regions?

All Biafrans, OPC, MEND should know the cause of their problems and all Nigerians problem is the USA and britian- as they clearly dont any southerner to be president of Nigeria unless he has been head of state before(like obj).

britain and the USA are too smart

sjeezy8:

There is NO WAY IBB can win in a free and fair election as a civilian president. and America knows that! They know that the only way he can gain win is from rigging.

No one in PDP will vote for him, No one in AC will vote for him, APGA NO,LB No . . .

There americans are saying they want a person who has experienced being head of Nigeria to rule in 2011 WTF type of thinking is that. What of Obama in America- why cant Nigerians have their own NEW fresh president that will restore a new hope in Nigeria of all regions?

All Biafrans, OPC, MEND should know the cause of their problems and all Nigerians problem is the USA and britian- as they clearly dont any southerner to be president of Nigeria unless he has been head of state before(like obj).

typical Nigerian, placing all the blame on others.

The real cause of our problems is the large number of cowardly Nigerians (mainly southerners) that will not come out to vote PDP out. Simple as that.

texazzpete:

typical Nigerian, placing all the blame on others.

The real cause of our problems is the large number of cowardly Nigerians (mainly southerners) that will not come out to vote PDP out. Simple as that.

whos a TYPICAL Nigerian? If you dont know you should use your brain -if the article is true, its of no surprise to those who already know that whatever is in Americas interest america will say and do. no one is blaming others and pdp is a problem but not the biggest problem. If you dont think America manipulates other countries for their own interest you are verry naive and dum b. and whos to say IBB wont contest on PDP platform just to keep the "rotation in PDP"going?

@ post The only way he can win in PDP is if PDP southerners are forced to put him as the front runner.
The guy isnt the peoples choice and he might even run with the PDP.- so eitherway its the same old same old.

its a lose lose situation if he breaks pdp chain- theres no rotation to the se or ss
if he contest on pdp- its the same old thing as other before him- but atleast the ss or se have a chance at presidency.

If the article is true.

@poster

Why are you people misinterpreting publications to innocent people in this forum,it is true that the US envoy went to Minna to see IBB but it was not disclosed to us as at press time what was discussed,mind you it was before the Nigerian Senate made the resolution of making Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as the Acting President.
But it was however gathered that the primary reason was to prevent a coup d'tat and not to bring IBB as president.Those who went to see him included the Assistant secretary of states(Africa)and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria.

ifihearam:

@poster

Why are you people misinterpreting publications to innocent people in this forum,it is true that the US envoy went to Minna to see IBB but it was not disclosed to us as at press time what was discussed,mind you it was before the Nigerian Senate made the resolution of making Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as the Acting President.
But it was however gathered that the primary reason was to prevent a coup d'tat and not to bring IBB as president.Those who went to see him included the Assistant secretary of states(Africa)and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria.

well u can see for yourself that i am NOT the author of this article - it is a newspaper report and the web link is beneath the story

IBB is using all means possible to sell him crooked self but it will take a broken,a disillusioned or an evil minded nigerian as always to take the likes of babangida seriously.

Ibb is a known fugitive,there are no two ways about it and if britain and america are giving him the push to rule nigeria instead of working towards bringing him to book for crimes his against humanity,it invariably makes them fugitives too to watch out for,birds of the same feathers they flocks together

why am i not suprised that obamanation and his cronies are courting that demon babangida - of course america needs to have another stooge in place so that they can move the next phase of their plan to recolonise nigeria into action, im now beginning to think that Yaradua's prolonged absence may be due to his decision to award major oil and infrastructure contracts to china which america and britain were hell bent on terminating.

i can bet my last dollar that america and britain are privy to the circumstances surrounding Yaradua's prolonged  absence, how can anyone in their right mind want someone like babangida back after what he did to the nigerian economy in the 80s, unless of course that person has a vested interest in nigeria remaining backward, remember that IBB started off the harsh austerity measures following the recommendations of the american run IMF and World Bank which caused so much suffering for our people.

maybe now people will begin to understnd that nigeria is being run by america and britain, in other words its a client state with no autonomous sovereign powers.  My view on this is that Obasanjo - another american stooge with ties to the CIA
was instructed to handover to a "friendly successor" (pro american/british) however Yaradua turned out not to be as friendly to american/british economic interests as they thought he would be and now they want him out - this is my view -

http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/mar1999/nig-m17.shtml


One other thing that occurred to me,  Babangida during his presidency was receiving intelligence from Israeli secret service (Mossad) enabling him to survive the coup attempt in 1990 and possibly numerous other ones we werent told about and i am pretty sure Obasanjo made use of Mossad's services too, i dont think its coincidental that these two ex presidents were able to retain power for so long despite how unpopular they were amongst the nigerian populace.

If IBB and his cronies succeed in their plan then nigeria is doomed - if you think people are suffering now, you just wait until this demon gets back into power- Obama will keep him there with a steady flow of arms as long as he (IBB) keeps the oil flowing fast and cheap for the american oil companies.  Of course Mossad will provide IBB with all the intelligence and security he needs to remain in power possibly for the rest of his life.

and for those of you who have been hoodwinked into beleiving that Obama has the interests of africa at heart -please wake up and smell the coffee - he is a puppet of western imperialism and has no loyalties or allegiances to africa - if he did he wouldnt be where he is today.

IBB has been the best thing to happen to Nigeria so far-have you see anyone better?

instead IBB, Turai should step in.

it is that bad.

Do not believe something like this.This can not happen.ibb was the worst head of state ever came to Nigeria.
Ghana Rawling system is better for this Animal who is also been named in an International coup plotting

I don't believe USA or Britain can even think of this kind of thing. If for any reason, there is any iota of truth. I can say it is time to chase Americans and Britons away from Nigeria. THEY ARE OUR ENEMIES IF THEY WANT IBB IN ASO ROCK!

babaearly:

IBB has been the best thing to happen to Nigeria so far-have you see anyone better?

What have you been smoking?I hope its not spiked "Ganja".
IBB brought Nigeria to its knees and we are still suffering from the after-shocks of IBB's tsunami till today.
He institutionalised corruption,neglected infrastructure and paid little attention to the reduction in pwer generation and supply,amongst many other ills during his time.He shouldnt be allowed to return to Abuja, Never again,

Well for records, I dont want to believe this articule until I see the goat making a head way in ruling nigeria again. If that happens then all hell must break loose. These are known criminals, and the hardship they put Nigerians through are unimaginable.We need fresh blood in politics and not this thieving lock heads. If they dont let us choose our leaders, then they would be destroying themselves. God is our guidiance. Maybe when the situation gets very difficult we would learn to drop our differences behind and deal with this low life criminals. What goes around comes around guys. That is for sure. Maybe it is time to start mobilising people.

Kai, this cannot be true. Just like you have said, these are persons who sort of institutionalised corruption in Nigeria and they still go about free as if nothing happened. There are good Nigerians who have not had the opportunity of coming to the seat of power. The resources that God has blessed this country with are so numerous that we have no business being poor, yet the people live in abject poverty, with no government programmes aimed at alleviating their hardships.

You do have a disciple in me to mobilise the people to sit up and see things as they are truly are and stop the likes of Mobutu in Nigeria from smelling the seat of power again.

These the people who have refused to create enabling environments for the teeming youths of this country from being gainfully employed and turn round to use them in self-destruction activities by being ready hands in religious uprisings and the like all over the place.

1. USA is only looking for a way to break the country up, so that they can easily move in.
2. The west seems to be dead broke and they need our cash to fill up their bank faults again.

God forbid. May this cup pass over us!

wooing him to where now, Like the crude oil is on IBB's mothers farm, hiss!!!

IBB needs to lay low and enjoy his looted funds, we are tired of him, somebody teach him golf or tennis for heavens sake, UR TIME IS LONG GONE n