IBB: Why I Want to Be President Again
04.28.2010

Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida was in Lagos last weekend on a social visit. He however, took time off to speak to journalists on his presidential ambition in 2011. He also spoke on the controversies surrounding the annulment of June 12,1993 presidential election among other issues. Zacheaus Somorin was there

Seventeen years after you left office as a military President, you are joining the race again to contest for president in 2011. Why do you intend going back? Did you forget anything while leaving the office?
Thank you. Seventeen years ago when I left Aso Rock, I left so many things that I think I should go and bring back. I left for example, the value of the naira, I left, again, for example, the stable price of fuel, I also left a whole lot of reforms and I think I need to go back and get them back. So there are lot of things I left behind that I want to go and pick up for the benefit of ordinary Nigerians.


Now that you want to contest an election, PDP is in serious crisis, how do you intend to do it, going by what is happening now?
I think naturally, all political parties in the world, not only PDP, have crises internally; the way to solve the problem without rancour is by following due process. The present situation in PDP is unfortunate, one of our most eminent leaders in this country. Mallam Adamu Ciroma, has spoken. If you want to remove anybody, there are processes to do that, and that process must be followed; whoever is the leader of the PDP got there by convention.


So, I believe it is only the convention that can remove the present leadership of the party. So they should not be removed through garrison process. I also believe that whatever may be the problem, they should resolve the problem through the party’s due process, this is because PDP has norms, and those norms must be followed. So if you follow that, it would be fair. Ogbulafor remains the chairman of the party; you don’t just wake up and say that I sack Ogbulafor! There is a process, and that process must be followed, that is what democracy is all about.
This is not the first time that we’ve heard of your intention to run for the presidency of the nation, only for you to back out at the last minute.

so this time around what has given you the conviction to run again?
Well, some of us who are, well, even when some you don't want us to use that word patriots, have sacrificed our lives to keep this country together; so will definitely be concerned if events are not okay. That is the idea behind it.


But can you be specific about these events that prompted you to intervene?
To intervene? Or to throw my hat and seek the mandate of the ordinary Nigerians? I have the experience, I have done it before.
Whenever people remember your ambition, they remember June 12,


(Cuts in). Well, I have accepted it. You would talk about June 12, you would talk about $12.4 billion; which ''I stole''; they would talk about Dele Giwa; you would talk about, pls remind me [laugh], they will always talk about the negative ones. Anybody who is a follower of events in the country with a little common sense, would know that the money that accrued to the Federal Government then in eight years is the $12.4 billion, and not wind fall. please get the issue correct, because windfall is the money you never expected. So the money was the money that accrued to the Federal Government, and the money was properly used to meet the demands of the government as at that time. Agreed, there was an interregnum period of Gulf war in Iran. So there was an additional grant of $1.4 billion. We did not indict the government of that time, so those issues are matters of opinion, the money should have been sent to the reserve, but I said no as I don't like keeping money, because there are things I want to do with them, so what do we do? And those projects were itemised, they are there, they are verifiable, you could see it, you could feel it.


On June 12?
June 12? First, of all. you must give me credit for conducting the first freest election ever conducted by anybody in this country, that was on June 12. Then that election was annulled. So here I am. I conducted the best election and I annulled the best election! And I did say that every president, a leader, that is what a leader should be respected for is taking responsibility for anything good or bad. Agreed, but it is not for me to now be saying somebody this, otherwise I wouldn't be a leader.
People have been saying that you should tender a public apology for annulling the election,
(Cuts in) I want the definition of public apology. I said that I accept full responsibility.
So in your own way, you have accepted full responsibility, and to you, you think that is an apology?
I have said that as a leader, I accepted it. I think you would analyse it, judge it. Well, after all every leader makes mistake. I am not an exception.


So the annulment was a mistake?
Every mistake, everything good comes to my table. I accept.
PDP appears to be a party that is always known for crisis towards elections. There was disharmony in 2003, 2007, there is another crisis now, making some of us to believe that the whole problem is hinged on the battle for the control of the party, can we then say that, that is what is responsible for what we are witnessing in your party now?
If we follow this process, I mean the rules of the party as explained earlier, the constitution of the party, all these problems would not have been there. This is because of the fact that it is the people that form the party, so allow them to complain. So those who clamour remove him! remove him! I think are being undemocratic.


Recently, some prominent members of the party were suspended and this has been happening for quite a long time, don't you think that this can endanger the party?
That is the point I was making, one of the founding members of the party spoke to the media. He was saying that the rule of law and the constitution of the party must be followed. You cannot just wake up in the morning and ask people to get out. So, as a democratic party, you must play by the rules.


Why are you so confident that after 17 years you can contest election? Assuming that you are not contesting on the platform of the PDP, would you contest on the platform of any other party?
First of all, the constitution allows me to; there is also the provision for independent candidature. So you don't necessarily have to run to the party. I have this conviction that having done it for 8 years, I can do it again. And for the fact that we made some progress for those 8 years, so why not now? We can review where we stopped so that we re-launch Nigeria into the next 50 years.


When the campaign starts proper, how are you going to handle the issue of June 12 in the South West?
I think South-west is the most enlightened part of Nigeria politically. I challenge anybody that says I am saying the wrong thing. they are civilised people. They have controlled the government, they have also ran democracy. Despite the fact that such an event happened in the country, there are other events too. There was war, even during democracy, we had crisis in Odi, Benue and the rest of them. All these happened in the life of a government. The important thing is that you cannot continue to be lamenting on issues that are 17 years old. I think Nigerian people are more important. They should devote more of their time trying to see how we can advance this country, how do we provide water, how do we make food available on our tables, how do we protect lives and properties. Those are more important to the ordinary man.


In 1998, you went to Ota to see Obasanjo, you then supported him and he ruled for 8 years. Now it is your turn, have you consulted him?
Well, we always talk, we can talk to each other, we relate with each other. Arguing is never an issue. We are more democratic. Surely, you should accept that I must have talked to him. He is a politician.
You were once a military dictactor, how can you convince us that 17 years is actually enough to change you from being one to a truly democratic leader? Again, are the years enough to change you from being a general that gives order?
Don't forget that most of us in the military, we were well informed about democracy, about governance, and all that. So it is an issue of adaptation and responsibility. At least one of the principles of life is to adapt. And we have no problem adapting from militarism to democracy.



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