I will invite Babangida again, says Oshiomhole
Monday, 03 May 2010 00:00 Nigerian Compass
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THE “One-Man-One-Vote” rally organised last Thursday by Edo State Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole at the Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, may have come and gone but the controversy generated by the event will take more time to clear.

Principal actors in the controversy, Oshiomhole and members of his party – the Action Congress (AC) – yesterday maintained their different postures.

While the governor saw nothing wrong in what he did, the party accused him of laying a booby trap for them by inviting them to keep the company of anti-democracy elements.

The rally, aimed at drumming up support for the sanctity of ballot boxes, pitted the organiser against his core friends and political soul mates in the pro-democracy family and the AC respectively.

Specifically, the inclusion of Senate President David Mark, who was billed to be the special guest of honour and the presence of former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, triggered the boycott of the event by the likes of Prof. Wole Soyinka, AC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, among others.

But Oshiomhole, who was still basking in the euphoria of the success of the rally, said he had no regrets extending invitations to those his ‘core friends’ viewed as political lepers and enemies of democracy.

He told whoever cared to listen that it was time to do away with politics of exclusion.

Although the Edo helmsman described the boycott as unfortunate, he, however said the action of his friends reflected the fact that “friends and associates can differ on the evaluation and method of carrying out a mission.”

According to him, the forum offered a unique opportunity to the leadership of the National Assembly through Mark on why the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform must not be watered down, but implemented to the letter.

His words: “You have to persuade him (Senate President) to take another look. The productive option is to continue to put pressure on the Senate leadership.

“I am not from a political background. I am of the labour background. So, I don’t believe in the politics of exclusion because it is unhelpful.

“I believe in the politics of inclusion because it is politics of tolerance. My background as a labour activist allows me to engage my opponents, not to avoid them but to engage them in discussion.

“If I were still to do it tomorrow, I will invite as many people as possible. In fact, I will bring those I feel are not yet on board. It was not a partisan gathering. I respect their judgement but disagreed with them on approach.”

On whether he would be sanctioned by his party, Oshiomhole said: “My fundamental human rights include my right to differ and would defend that right to any length. I am not a product of political parties but of organised labour and civil society. I have spent all my life fighting oppression.

“My fundamental right connotes that I can differ. I respect their judgement, but they must also respect mine. AC is a democratic party, which means that we can disagree.”

He likened those who turned back for the rally because of Mark and Babangida to a pastor who abandoned the altar because of the presence of sinners amongst his congregation.

“The duty of the priest is to preach the gospel to sinners in the church and not to stage a walkout because the church is full of sinners. His mandate is to win the souls of the sinners.”

Defending his action for inviting Babangida to the “One Man One Vote” rally, the governor said the objective of the forum was to bring people from various political persuasions across the country together to engage on how to solve the nation’s electoral problems.

That purpose, according to him, was met last Thursday “and I am satisfied that it was a huge success,” he said.

Justifying the extension of invitation to Babangida, who he said was invited just like all former Heads of State, Oshiomhole said he will do the same thing all over again if given the opportunity.

He said: “We should work together. No politician can be more principled than Balarabe Musa; No living politician ever made more sacrifice than this man. He gave up his position as a governor in defence of his principle. He stayed behind and spoke his mind. I think we should work together to reform the electoral system.”

In his view, shutting the door against people considered to be anti-democrats was not and can never be the solution.

He said: “The objective was clear. To assemble people across the various political parties, leaders and politicians to renew the campaign for electoral reform, which we called “One man, one vote. I don’t believe in the politics of exclusion and that was why we threw open the invitation.

“The discourse of electoral reform should be targetted at everyone so that it can deepen the debate and conversation. The real rigour of democracy does not permit us to involve in politics of exclusiveness.

“But the National Publicity Secretary of the AC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, picked hole in Oshiomhole’s line of defence, stating: “What we met in Benin was an equivalent of an ambush and we had to retreat.”

According to him, the party had no prior knowledge that Mark and Babangida would also be in attendance, noting that they would not have left their respective locations for Benin if they had known.

He said the presence of AC chieftains who boycotted the rally would have given credence to some of the positions that the duo hold on certain national issues that are contrary to that of the party.

His words: “There is the need for a complete and total disclosure. If we are being invited by a governor on the platform of our party, we expect him to share same core political values like ours.

“Mark cannot by any yardstick claim to have same ideological position with us with the way they threw the key recommendations of the Justice Uwais-led panel on electoral reform, under his nose.

“We won’t be comfortable sharing the same platform on a rally advocating ‘one-man one-vote’ with such a character.”

On Babangida, Mohammed stressed that it would amount to a political suicide on their part if they attended the rally given a recent ‘fake’ report alleging that the party led a delegation to Minna to persuade the former military leader to pick Tinubu as his running mate.

He said: “If we went ahead, would we not be giving credence to that false report?. Again, IBB has said he wants to be president on the platform on the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party), our going there would naturally have meant that we’re endorsing him.

“In politics, there are boundaries. It’s not like activism. In politics, perception is everything. If we had attended that rally, we would spend the next four years trying to explain to Nigerians. We must learn to be responsive, and the sensibility of the actors matter.”

Like Oshiomhole, the AC spokesman said:”If the same situation presents itself, we would respond the same way.”

Also yesterday, the rally drew some flaks from a group which identified itself as Edo State Elders Consultative Forum. It alleged that the event was to surreptitiously endorse the Babangida presidency.

The elders congratulated Soyinka for not falling into the trap set by Oshiomhole to hoodwink him, along with others, into endorsing IBB for the 2011 presidential race.

In a statement released in Abuja entitled: “Oshiomhole’s one man, one vote may have come and gone, but the dust will still linger in our political hemisphere for a long time”, the group dissociated itself from the rally.

The statement signed by Uyi Edo-Osagie and Madam Philomena Momodu, in their capacity as chairman and secretary respectively, said: “We join millions of Nigerians to call on Governor Adams Oshiomhole to come out of his ‘dark’ and let us into his ‘unknown’ side. Why will he appropriate Edo tax payers’ money into a phoney IBB project that he nicknamed One-Man-One-Vote?”

By Bunmi Ogunmodede, Muyiwa Oyinlola & Emmanuel Ulayi, Abuja

Tinubu and his fellow Yoruba men think that they can cow a principled and strong man like Adams.

IBB for president come 2011.

Oshiomole is a disgrace to Nigeria Civil Society. What he has exhibited is his true nature. Remember during his farwel speech as NLC President when he refused to make a single statement on Obasanjo's Third Term Agenda because of his political ambition. It is a shame that his form of activism lacks morals.

Opon assumption of office as Governor, he refused to say a word about the corruptive leadership of Lucky Igbinedion because they are old time friends. The news of his resolve to contest 2011 as IBB's Vice President is just filtering into the air. We are waiting

Yah! Mr. NLC

Yah! Mr. NLC

Oshiomhole,Is a fucking disgrace to the civil society

Oshiomole is a fvcking disgrace

He is trying to be VP to IBB. Period.

Stan017:

Oshiomole is a disgrace to Nigeria Civil Society. What he has exhibited is his true nature. Remember during his farwel speech as NLC President when he refused to make a single statement on Obasanjo's Third Term Agenda because of his political ambition. It is a shame that his form of activism lacks morals.

Opon assumption of office as Governor, he refused to say a word about the corruptive leadership of Lucky Igbinedion because they are old time friends. The news of his resolve to contest 2011 as IBB's Vice President is just filtering into the air. We are waiting

Oshiomole is a perfecte example of an inteligent politician should behave, i wish we had many like him  . . .

He likened those who turned back for the rally because of Mark and Babangida to a pastor who abandoned the altar because of the presence of sinners amongst his congregation.

“The duty of the priest is to preach the gospel to sinners in the church and not to stage a walkout because the church is full of sinners. His mandate is to win the souls of the sinners.”

Yeah right, Kosovo. You and Oshimole are in the same boat with IBB. A pastor had better run if he got to his "church" and found the devil leading the choir and the congregation "happily" singing along - they might all be in a trance.

kosovo:

Oshiomole is a perfecte example of an inteligent politician should behave, i wish we had many like him  . . .

kosovo:

Oshiomole is a perfecte example of an inteligent politician should behave, i wish we had many like him  . . .  

He was foolih for inviting IBB there and he should watch his mouth because if he raises his voice against Great Soyinka, thunder will fire his yansh. What does he want to preach to him that he cannot preach from afar?. May be IBB is infectious, how on earth did he rope Oshiomole into his kiln?

wat is always wrong with u kosovo?
@metal-gong(foolish gong), hv u taken ur medication this morning cos i can see u r loosing it again cos of IBB.perhaps he's been d 1 paying ur tuition

This marks the beginning of the end for Oshiomhole

naijamini:

Yeah right, Kosovo. You and Oshimole are in the same boat with IBB. A pastor had better run if he got to his "church" and found the devil leading the choir and the congregation "happily" singing along - they might all be in a trance.

imagine Lucifer leading the choir

what do u want the Pastor to do, flee of course

By the time Oshomole realise the damage he is doing his career it will be very late.
Are there no other businesses IBB can do? Oshiomole or what is he called should better rethink.

deltalife:

By the time Oshomole realise the damage he is doing his career it will be very late.
Are there no other businesses IBB can do? Oshiomole or what is he called should better rethink.

A leopard can never change its spots. The only thing IBB and his ilk are good at is corruption and chaos.

snowdrops:

A leopard can never change its spots. The only thing IBB and his ilk are good at is corruption and chaos.

as if u read my mind

lets wait n see wat foolish metal-gong will say cos IBB feeds his family so he can die for him

hahahahaha Nigerians! why are we disturbing ourselves over these things? There has never been any credible election in Nigeria, i wonder what different this will make if IBB and Oshomole or what ever they call him take over the Mattel of leadership. Look people anybody can come up and rule that country, infact the president already know himself and he is practicing to to rule in the usual way of his predecessor, so keep your peace people.

Is it that easy to buy peoples souls>?

Money is power.

Oshiomole has always been a hypocrite!

The guy worked his way up there by deceiving all Nigerians that he is fighting as a Labor dude, i knew this all along and now he is showing his true color
Welcome to the real nation of ours . . . . . Nothing for nothing

Or maybe he was just a victim of 'If you can't beat dem you join dem' . . .

Oshi-omo-ale is a buffon.he is so engrossed with his selfish interest that he has failed to see reality.why would you make david mark, the guest of honour when we had credible people in nigeria.Is it not this same david mark that could not pass the electoral reform bill,if not for protest and noises made ,would they have declared jonathan the act i presido.
if he had not made mark the guest of honour ,it would have been a great opprotunity to lambast that fool calld babagida or whatever.He is plotting his downfall.

Oshiomhole has always been part of the "dem" click. I have always known that. He is only coming out with who he truely is because he wants to contest 2011 with IBB.
Nothing surprises me again with this man. Its wont be news if tomorrow he decamps to join PDP.

becomrich7:

Oshiomole made a mistake to invite IBB there. You must ask yourself, how do voter see IBB. they dont like him. You can do a poll of Nigerian anywhere in the world.  Even those in the USA.

It is a No. And Oshiomole  may end up paying for this in an election. He has given the PDP the opportunity they want in Edo state.   Even the labour union in nigeria would vote 99% against IBB. He has to be very careful.

I think IBB should not run, but use his connection with ex president to help nigeria get investment from those countries.   Like calling other ex president around the world and looking for investment in Nigeria. Even if it means nigeria foot his bill. I mean IBB starting an investment company.  You can see what George bush and clinton are doing. Give talk , that what IBB should be doing. He would make enough money from it. They would pay him in dollar.

IBB should do business. He would get loan from other countries from his connection, that way he can employ other nigerian.

Where is IBB library located. I think IBB should be thinking of project like this. This is what ex president do.

IBB should become a motivation speaker.   If he give talk in Nigeria for N5,000,000, that is N260 million

they say if you engage a mad man in a fight after a while onlookers will not be able to tell the difference between the mad man and the sane man but ill take my chances with you becomrich - first of all who says Oshimohole didnt  know what he was  doing in inviting IBB to that rally, i hear IBB actually sponsored the rally so to my mind the whole thing was a premeditated plan to gradually ease IBB back into the public arena in order to gradually win over the  nigerian populace and it appears to be working in some quarters, what with sabotuers like Ojukwu endorsing his plans to run.

the idea that IBB to quote you "should use his connections to get investments for nigeria" is nothing more than a sick joke, as IBB is a US puppet who was used to wreck the nigerian economy 25 years ago - the hijacking of nigeria's wealth (which our leaders like to call foreign investment) commenced with IBB and accelerated under OBJ and is now continuing with OBJ's puppet Goodluck Jonathan.

You say IBB should "get loans from other countries" are you aware that the nigerian economy was handed over to a group of IMF and world bank officials following IBB's decision to take on loans with monstrous interest rates attached to them?

IBB as a motivational speaker!!! what would be the topics of such motivational speeches -  how to become a successful drug baron, loot billions from the national treasury, bankrupt an entire nation, murder any dissenters  AND STILL get s.t.u.p.i.d nigerians to vote you in to do the same thing all over again -  that shoudl make for an interesting day out im sure.