Former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida yesterday described the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election by his administration as "a mistake".

He also spoke on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying due process should be followed, if National Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor must be removed.

Besides, he said contrary to reports, Nigeria realised $1.4billion and not $12.4billion during the Gulf War which sent oil prices sky bound.

Speaking with reporters in Lagos, Babangida said he had apologised to Nigerians for annulling the election, which was presumed to have been won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola by taking responsibility for the action.

"Every leader makes a mistake; I am not an exception," he said.

Nigerians, he pleaded, should give him credit for conducting the election.

He said: "You must give me credit for conducting the best election ever conducted by anybody in this country. That was on June 12. That election was annulled. So, here I am. I conducted the best election. I annulled the best election. A leader should be respected for one thing. He should take responsibility for anything good or bad. It is not for me to say that somebody did this or that, otherwise, I will not be a leader".

On why he refused to tender a public apology for the annulment, Babangida said: "I want a definition of public apology. I said I accept full responsibility. Then, you can give me (a definition of public apology), if you want. I accepted this as a leader. I hope you will analyse it, judge it. Of course, every leader makes a mistake. I am not an exception. Everything came to my table."

Warning against removing Ogbulafor in a "garrison" manner, Babangida said that the party must follow due process and rule of law, if he is to be removed.

Internal crises, he said, are normal in political parties worldwide.

Babangida went on: "It is not only the PDP that has internal crisis. We only need to solve those problems without rancour and by following due process and democratic norms. These are what political parties are known for. The present situation in the PDP is unfortunate. One of our most eminent leaders in this country, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, was talking about it and I align myself with Mallam Adamu Ciroma.

"If we want to remove anybody, there is a process. The process must be followed. Whoever holds an appointment in the PDP, he got there by convention and it is only the convention that can remove the present leadership. There is due process and they must not resort to the garrison method. I think due process should be followed. I hope nobody will wake up in the morning and say sack Ogbulafor. There is a process. That process must be followed.

"So, whatever is happening, they should resolve their problems, using due process. PDP has its laws and those laws must be followed. That is what democracy is all about."

Babangida justified his foray into politics, 17 years after he "stepped aside", calling on Nigerians to join him in salvaging the country.

As a former Head of State, he said, he has the experience to rule the country and tackle the problems slowing down its development.

He said he had briefed former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his ambition, although he was silent on details of their discussion.

On his ambition, he said: "Seventeen years ago, when I left Aso Rock, I left so many things. For example, I left the value of the naira. I left the fuel pump price. We started a lot of reforms. I think I need to go back and get them back for the benefit of ordinary Nigerians."

Babangida described himself as one of the patriots who sacrificed their lives to keep Nigeria together, saying he was concerned by its lack of progress.

He denied embezzling the Gulf War oil windfall, explaining that the $12.4 billion that accrued to the national treasury under his administration in eight years was spent judiciously. The projects funded with the money are verifiable, he said.

Babangida distinguished between oil windfall and monies that accrued to the nation’s purse, saying the former fell into the category of revenue that was not expected.

He pointed out that what accrued to the nation during the war was $1.4 billion.

At the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Babangida insisted that the resort to arbitrariness was unhealthy for the party.

PDP crisis could be better resolved if chairmen are not removed for the sake of the exercise, he said, adding:

"I expect everybody to play by the rules, PDP is a party that allows human rights to flourish. I hope that whatever happens, they should allow due process to take place.

"I think the days of changing the party chairman for the sake of just changing any executive member is long over. The PDP must live by example, and should not allow arbitrariness to be the order of the day in the party as we saw it about eight years ago.

"PDP of the next 50 years should be a party that operates by the rules and follows the rule of law, allowing everybody the chance to air his or her views, or ventilate their disagreement that is why it is called a political party.

"Going after party officials and those some people do not like their faces is not the solution to the problems of the party. We should allow internal democracy to flourish. There is disagreement among party members all over the world, it is not news, political parties do have problems, but the ability to resolve them amicably is the way forward


http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/44361/1/Ogbulafor-IBB-condemns-garrison-method-in-PDP/Page1.html

I still don't understand why they are still giving this guy attention.