Abuja 9/27/2010 www.africanexaminer.com

There are strong indications that former military president
Ibrahim Babangida may drop his presidential ambition following
pressure from the northern elders, his friends and loyalists.

African Examiner gathered that the pressure on IBB to step
down was to enable the north comes out with a consensus
candidate that will give President Jonathan a run for his money
during the PDP primaries.

IBB friends believe it is better that the former military president
to step down now, rather than allowing himself to be humiliated
at the polls. It was also gathered that those who wanted him to
quit are of the opinion that his candidacy will be hard to sell in
some part the country, especially in the South West.

One of the arguments of the canvassers is that the former
military president should step down to pave the way for younger
candidates like Ribadu, Saraki and president Jonathan to fight
it out at the polls.

African Examiner source noted that IBB will eventually dump his
ambition because political calculations are not helping him right
now as his past misdeeds have continued to overwhelmingly
haunt him. The source also pointed out that out of all the past
military head of state in Nigeria, it was only Babangida who has
continued to be struggling with his image, out of office.

African Examiner also gathered that with IBB in the race, the
much touted consensus candidates in the north would not be
successful as other candidates are not likely to accept his
choice because they see him as having too much political junk,
though this indication is coming despite previous parley by all
the candidates to abide by the decision of the committee set up
by the Northern elders to pick a consensus candidate among
IBB, Saraki, Atiku and Gusau.

All the four candidates thought they have the best credentials
to defeat President Jonathan in the PDP primaries. Babangida
on his own is claiming that he is the most experienced being the
only one who has been a president among the four, while
former vice president Atiku Abubakar claims that he has the
best democratic credentials among the candidates.

On his own part, Gen. Aliyu Gusau believes he is the only
candidate with clean credentials during a public life that span
over 35 years, while Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara is of the
view that his age is the strongest point in his argument.

As a result of the complex nature of concluding the consensus
talks, pressure are being mounted on the former general to quit
the stage, adding that many escape routes could be used as
an excuse rather than allow himself to be ridiculed at the
primaries.
Our source pointed out that Babangida’s statement recently
that 2010 elections is not a “ do-or-die affairs” and that “life
goes on even he loses,” are indications of pressure on him.

“You can see that the statement is loaded with meaning, this will
let you know IBB has been made to realize that he will need to
drop his ambition to allow the North to produce a consensus
candidate, which is highly unlikely to be him due to many
controversial and unresolved issues dangling on his head” Our
source stated.
-Uchenna Joe Obi, Abuja

when this happens, i know IBB supporters in NLand will hide,

Kosovo, and others