April 12, 2010 18:25 (3 hours ago), 1,050 views

By Kazeem Ugbodaga & Eromosele Ebhomele

The Convener of Save Nigeria Group and serving overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare has called on Nigerians to stone former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida following his declaration to contest in next year’s presidential election.

Bakare made the call yesterday during his sermon in his church in Lagos. According to him, “none of the oppressors is coming to rule this nation again. Their arrogance must be put to an end.”

He described Babangida as “a clever manipulator, an arrogant megalomaniac who has refused to apologise for the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election,” won by Moshood Abiola, adding that the money he stole while in power for eight years has finished that is why he is coming for more.

Bakare said though IBB has a right as a Nigerian to vie for any elective office and that he has nothing against him as a person, he said the former military dictator messed up the country when he was in power and a such he does not have anything new to offer Nigerians.

He said he won’t wait till 2011 before he begins the war against the oppressors who are planning to return to power, adding “let’s vote for IBB with stones. Make sure the stones have rough edges.”

Also, intense opposition has continued to mount against IBB’s decision to contest the 2011 presidential election.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS, constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay described IBB’s decision as an insult on the populace, saying that it shows the contempt he has for the nation.

“IBB was the man who turned corruption into an institution at a time Buhari was almost eliminating it. He scuttled our democracy by annulling the 1993 presidential poll and ushered in the Abacha era fraught with gross human rights abuse.

“He should ask God for forgiveness of his soul. It will never happen for IBB to contest election in this country,” Sagay stated.

Reverend Ola Makinde, Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria denounced IBB’s intention to contest next year’s polls, saying that he had to explain several things to Nigerians, such as the death of Dele Giwa, among others.

“We don’t want a religious bigot to rule. He introduced the nation to the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), he has to explain to us why. We have lost so many souls and properties worth billions of naira.

“He has to tell us his agenda and that he would not move to islamise the nation. He has to explain the oil windfall and others,” he said.

Afenifere chieftain, Chief Reuben Fasoranti simply asked, “What does he want? He has done his two terms and annoyed Nigerians by annulling the 1993 presidential poll. He should allow new blood and new trend to come into the nation’s polity. We need someone else to come on board and not recycled product.”

According to Mr. Yinka Odumakin, National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere Renewal Group, “Nigerians should be ready to fight with their soul since their votes would not be allowed to count.

“ It is the tragedy of the century if IBB should be allowed to get to the ballot box, let alone running for the presidential polls. We should ensure that his intention is stillborn,” he added.

Former Convener, United Action for Democracy (UAD), Comrade Bamidele Aturu said IBB is taking the people for granted by announcing his intention to vie for the presidential poll, saying that “it shows that integrity doesn’t count in this nation.”

“He still has so many unanswered questions. It is sad. What about the oil windfall? What about the murder of Dele Giwa and others? The battle line has been drawn. Nigerians will have to be organised and fight or we will lose it,” he said.

National President, Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin described IBB’s return as the greatest insult of the century, lamenting that after the alleged atrocities committed by him, such as the murder of Dele Giwa and Kudirat Abiola and others, he still wanted to vie for the presidency.

“Nigerians should brace up for the challenge ahead. For him to come back is a sign of rapid retrogression. We should be vigilant; if need be, we will go to the trenches again We should be ready to fight with the last drop of our blood in order to ensure that people like IBB will never rule this nation again,” said Okei-Odumakin.

Comrade Debo Adeniran, founder, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders warned IBB against coming back, saying that Nigerians would not allow it, adding that he bastardised the nation “and there is nothing he should come to do in government again.”

Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said it was time for Nigerians to mobilise against “this evil genius. This kind of opposition is not lip service. We can’t sit down in our houses and complain about IBB when we have no alternative.

“We should get a candidate and rally round him to challenge IBB and the ruling party. His coming back is adding salt to injury if Nigerians allow him to contest unchallenged,” he added.

According to Mr. Joe Igbokwe, Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Action Congress (AC), “IBB for president? It must be the biggest joke of the century. IBB must be the greatest dreamer of the 21st century. I have a thousand and one reasons why he cannot be the president of Nigeria again.

“After the monumental disaster called Obasanjo, I do not think Nigeria would want to experiment with IBB. He has nothing to offer,” he added.

Meanwhile, Bakare, has described as an abomination of the devil, the action by Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church a.k.a. Winners Chapel after his visit with three other men of God to ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Pastor Bakare, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the SNG secretariat at the weekend, said if the Christian clerics who visited the ailing President were actually serving the people, they would have explained.

He further declared that though the clerics were free citizens who could honour such invitation, the statement credited to Bishop Oyedepo that he owed nobody any obligation to speak about his visit to Aso Rock was arrogant.

Bakare said, “what I can’t stand is the arrogance of some of them saying, “I do not owe the public any obligation”.

“Common, get your brain in the right direction, you don’t speak to the public like that.You are serving people, you are not lording it over them.

“When Peter went to the house of Cornelius in the Bible, he was questioned by the others and he explained to them and it became acceptable to the people that the church is supposed to be a union between the Jews and Gentiles.

“You don’t talk arrogantly as if you are on the back of a horse, who are you? Who do you think you are?

“If you are totally interested in God and his people, you will serve them with respect and dignity. That is too much arrogance and it is called the abomination of the devil.”

Bakare said he was invited to the Villa before the other clerics, but that he gave guidelines on how the invitation should be channeled because, according to him, the actual reason for such invitation must be stated, adding that he was not a doctor who should be asked to examine the sick president.

He, however, declared as inaccurate the story in a newspaper claiming that he was invited by the wife of the president, Turai.

“I said I was invited, but I did not mention by who because there are certain things you hold because of your place in the country.

“The Acting President cannot say everything about security because not everything is supposed to be shared.

“So I said I was invited before any of them you saw went, but I gave guidelines on how it should be done. I wanted to understand the motive and what would be the outcome.

“I am not a medical doctor, neither am I constitutionally empowered to carry out such investigation. Those who are constitutionally empowered to do so should go on.

“Before long, the Jerusalem and Mecca of Nigeria will become Aso Villa where clerics and non clerics would perform pilgrimage, but they should not diminish the office of the president or his person with this riculousity that is going on,” he said.

Asked why he had refused to declare any political intention, Pastor Bakare said: “We are building strategically, systematically and deliberately. We are not going to be in a hurry. You are not going to see me carrying any card of any party in 2011, but watch out thereafter.”

The pastor also said that the SNG was formed to fight the ills of the leaders of the country especially with the way the issue of President Yar’Adua’s ailment was handled.

“We have not reached uhuru yet, because this is an extension of the old and we have not seen anything drastically different from what was before,” he added

He said the group was going on with actions that would help the masses find their bearing in the country, adding that there is already mobilization at the grassroots level “so that they would know that the wealth of the nation is being squandered by a group of people. “There is enough in this land for the need of everybody but we do not have enough for the greed of the few. So we would continue to unblock the minds of Nigerians.”

Speaking in a similar vein, spokesperson of the group, Yinka Odumakin, said with the opening of the secretariat, the SNG has come to stay in the country.

He also decried the role played by the religious leaders regarding their visit to Aso Rock.

http://thepmnews.com/2010/04/12/2011-ambition-bakare-wants-ibb-stoned

Knock it off already . . . This is becoming OLD and Boring. . .