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2011 poll: Jonathan, IBB talks end in stalemate
Font size:   Yusuf Alli 30/08/2010 01:20:00


President Goodluck Jonathan has met with ex-military president Ibrahim Babangida over the 2011 elections and his plan to bid for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket.

But the meeting ended as soon as it started because the President’s intention to sound out Babangida on the possibility of getting him to step down failed.

Babangida, according to sources close to the meeting, stuck to his guns, vowing to contest the election.

The meeting was held in Minna at the home of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State, who handed over power to President Olusegun Obasanjo at the outset of the return to civil rule in 1999. Gen. Abubakar brokered the meeting.Jonathan reportedly told Babangida of his intention to run, stressing that the pressure from the Southsouth to contest for president "is too much to resist."

A source said: "The President said he decided to meet with Babangida to inform him of his intention to seek a fresh term in office.

"He said courtesy demanded that he should put Babangida in confidence and solicit his support."

But Babangida reportedly explained that there was no going back on his ambition to contest. He was quoted as saying that he had nothing against President Jonathan but added: "I have also been under pressure from my people since 2007 to run for this office."

He then wished the president well in his electoral pursuit. The source added: "The two leaders will now meet on the battlefield."

It was learnt that with Babangida’s comments, the parties knew it was time to call it a day. The meeting lasted only 10 minutes.

Although the Director (Media and Communications) of the Babangida Presidential Campaign Organisation, Kassim Afegbua, declined comments on the meeting last night, top brass in the two leaders’ camps confirmed the meeting.

There are strong indications that the President and his strategists are targeting 10 of the 29 PDP states as their stronghold for the PDP primaries. They met on Wednesday night to review their plans. There are fears that governors may not back him.

The President’s camp is targeting 100 per cent in those 10 states. It will join the scramble for 40 to 50 per cent of the votes with other presidential aspirants in other states.

It was gathered that the review meeting with the President was attended by the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo.

Another source said: "At the meeting, it was agreed that Jonathan camp’s target is to get 100 per cent support from 10 governors and fight its way through the primaries in other states."

A statement by the Babangida campaign organization spokesman Kassim Afegbua criticized the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Southwest Zone for endorsing Jonathan for 2011.

"The reported endorsement of the undeclared intention of President Jonathan by the Southwest PDP does not reflect the actual permutations on ground."




http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/#rotating_headlines_1

Let the 2011 battle resume immediately . . I cant wait to read the upcoming political intrigues and maneuvers in Nigeria.

Wow. Lasted only 10 minutes! I guess its true when they say "let your No's be your No's and let your Yes's be your Yes's". This is getting good already.

IBB will campaign throughout Nigeria,spend His Resources and Time but He will come Short of it.The Same Thing He did to Abiola.

Why will the President of a nation go to meet Babangida in Minna, he should have summoned the guy to Aso Rock with the Okigbo report in his hand. This Goodluck mumu small jare.

GEJ is still a boy 2 IBB despite him being d president.

Lets see who would kill who now as assassination would soon be the other of the day since it is near 2011. The Question should be?

Can Joe kill Babaginda? or Can Babaginda kill Joe??

Becos 1 person has to kill the other cos the money in the presidential villa and the pen they use in appending their signatory on trillion of naira project is to much money.

dkings101:

Lets see who would kill who now as assassination would soon be the other of the day since it is near 2011. The Question should be?

Can Joe kill Babaginda? or Can Babaginda kill Joe??

Becos 1 person has to kill the other cos the money in the presidential villa and the pen they use in appending their signatory on trillion of naira project is to much money.

IBB is only buoyed by the zoning talk and nothing else. He knows the power the president weilds.

Joe will definitely stop IBB (that does not make GEJ the automatic winner of 2011 though). If GEJ finds that he cannot convince the north to vote for him, or that the fragile peace in the country is seriously threatened, he will only ask the north to give a neutral candidate like Goje, or he will just back his VP Sambo to run for 2011 and all the zoning lords like IBB and ATIKU will look too naked to appear in public.

Those NAIRALANDER calling Jonathan dumb are not too wrong. cos in this game of politics you play with what you have. if GJ is smart enough, he should have use all these pending allegation to victimise and frustrate IBB and make him busy with courts to drop his ambition frustratedly instead of going to BEG. and if he doesn't know how to do it, he should ask OBJ if d man is truly supporting him

SHEAU:

Those NAIRALANDER calling Jonathan dumb are not too wrong. cos in this game of politics you play with what you have. if GJ is smart enough, he should have use all these pending allegation to victimise and frustrate IBB and make him busy with courts to drop his ambition frustratedly instead of going to BEG. and if he doesn't know how to do it, he should ask OBJ if d man is truly supporting him

That will not be a wise move my friend. IBB has already declared his intention and any attempt to use some process that will not be so easy to prove to stop him, will definitely be challenged in court and IBB has a bright chance of winning at the courts(at least for now), because the process of proving IBB guilty will be a long one, and the courts will restrain the FG from taking further action pending the determination of the suit.

Secondly it will give IBB that posture of someone GEJ is too afraid to meet at the polls and that will not be good for GEJ.

The battle field presenlty is the PDP primaries and there is no evidence anywhere that IBB has a better chance than GEJ to clinch the PDP ticket.

GEJ is only trying to talk IBB to step down so that the PDP can approach the general elections with a united front. I am not totally sure GEJ will get the PDP ticket, but I am very sure he will stop IBB from emerging.

TRUE TALK.

MY ADVICE TO NIGERIAN YOUTHS, DON,T KILL ANYONE OR ALLOW URSELVES TO BE USED BY ANYONE. LET THEM KILL THEMSELVES.


AND LET NIGERIANS PRAY AGAINST THE EVIL THE EVIL PLANS OF THESE POLITICIANS.

The battle is not between IBB and GEJ but for PDP dictators. I think they would decide the flag bearer.

I hope this will be the last time anybody will come out here to call IBB a criminal or corrupt.

Because if he is either of the above President Jonathan does not see it that way otherwise what will he be doing seeking his support or meeting him before running for office?

I hope this will be the last time anybody will come out here to call IBB a criminal or corrupt.

Because if he is either of the above President Jonathan does not see it that way otherwise what will he be doing seeking his support or meeting him before running for office?

Bros wetin u dey yahn? Because GEJ is messing up dat now vindicates IBB killings,lootings and maiming. FYI most of us Anti-IBB dont necessarily mean pro-GEJ, but in a situtaion where the Demon has Billions of dollars kept away for buying people's soul we have no choice than to support another person that can match him with access to Billions too. The mission is Operation stop the Evil 1 its not Operation Jonathan 2011

mikeansy:

I hope this will be the last time anybody will come out here to call IBB a criminal or corrupt.

Because if he is either of the above President Jonathan does not see it that way otherwise what will he be doing seeking his support or meeting him before running for office?

I think I have a vague understanding of what you mean, however i dont want to misconstrue things here. So kindly explain what you mean in better detail. please.

na_so:

I think I have a vague understanding of what you mean, however i dont want to misconstrue things here. So kindly explain what you mean in better detail. please.

Some of you folks tell us IBB is a thief hence only GEJ is qualified. so the question is why is GEJ soliciting the support of a man he should be locking up if IBB is a theif. May be GEJ is not doing his job properly.

So from now onwards, All you GEJ supporters have lost the moral right to call IBB corrupt or a criminal because with this visit, GEJ clearly does not think so.

na_so:

That will not be a wise move my friend. IBB has already declared his intention and any attempt to use some process that will not be so easy to prove  to stop him, will definitely be challenged in court and IBB has a bright chance of winning at the courts(at least for now), because the process of proving IBB guilty will be a long one, and the courts will restrain the FG from taking further action pending the determination of the suit.

Secondly it will give IBB that posture of someone  GEJ is too afraid to meet at the polls and that will not be good for GEJ.

The battle field presenlty is the PDP primaries and there is no evidence anywhere that IBB has a better chance than GEJ to clinch the PDP ticket.

GEJ is only trying to talk IBB to step down so that the PDP can approach the general elections with a united front. I am not totally sure GEJ will get the PDP ticket, but I am very sure he will stop IBB from emerging.

Na so brother I agree with you my fear is the primaries cos the north so want a Northern president at any cost whether credible or not and if GJ is smart he could opt out of PDP at the slightest indication of failure at the primaries. I believe as a flag bearer the West East and South would be able to give him the victory at the main elections

mikeansy:

Some of you folks tell us IBB is a thief hence only GEJ is qualified. so the question is why is GEJ soliciting the support of a man he should be locking up if IBB is a theif. May be GEJ is not doing his job properly.

So from now onwards, All you GEJ supporters have lost the moral right to call IBB corrupt or a criminal because with this visit, GEJ clearly does not think so.

Na wa o    see logic.

Well i am not aware of anyone saying only GEJ is qualified. the "support" in this case is a veiled call asking IBB to step down since IBB already decleared his intention to run. It is that simple and I am sure you know this.

Except if one is being unreal, In the nigeria of today , to win a presidential election will require a "mixed bag" of support from "Good" and "bad" people. That does not necessarily make the candidate good or bad. At least even if IBB will not lend support , every politician knows that it will be a plus if he is not working against you from the opposite end.

When someone gets into office, then a phased program of cleansing can start.

You clearly know that getting IBB into jail is not one easy process through the courts as our emotions are wont to make us believe.

na_so:

Na wa o    see logic.

Well i am not aware of anyone saying only GEJ is qualified. the "support" in this case is a veiled call asking IBB to step down since IBB already decleared his intention to run. It is that simple and I am sure you know this.

Except if one is being unreal, In the nigeria of today , to win a presidential election will require a "mixed bag" of support from "Good" and "bad" people. That does not necessarily make the candidate good or bad. At least even if IBB will not lend support , every politician knows that it will be a plus if he is not working against you from the opposite end.

When someone gets into office, then a phased program of cleansing can start.

You clearly know that getting IBB into jail is not one easy process through the courts as our emotions are wont to make us believe.

Cleansing? what cleansing?

Will Saint GEJ divorce his wife?

I have told you guys to stop playing this tired politics and start telling us what Jonathan will do for Nigeria.

I have not known you with this style i am seeing now.
Is cleansing the only thing that caught your attention in my post? I only responded to what you said. Ok leave "cleasing" out and take me up on other parts of my post.

this is a shame if true
i hope its a rummor
the president of a nation going to have talks with someone that should be behind bars??

Are we meant 2 be clappin 4 him or wat Nxt time he meets IBB, we'll zone that post 2 d north, Wake up Presido, if u hand urself over to them now they'll play u lik football in the future, so be were of those devils

na_so:

I have not known you with this style i am seeing now. Is cleansing the only thing that caught your attention in my post? I only responded to what you said. Ok leave "cleasing" out and take me up on other parts of my post.

Na-so , you are a gracious and civilised chap unlike that "agbero" Beaf, but you must understand that even decent folks are losing 'patience' with Jonathan's modus operandi . Whatever next ? Will he go around begging every local government chairman? He is the President , wether by design or accident . He should act like it for god sake !!!

Mikeansy is a decent chap IMO and I think he speaks correctly about Jonathan. He fails to declare to run until every obstacle has been bulldozed , fairly and unfairly, out of his way !!! He signs the electoral act and we are now reading that he plans to appeal against sections of the act that disqualify his appointees from voting as delegates in the PDP primaries as I stated on another thread he will attempt to do (remember?). To make thing totally worse Jonathan , just to actualise a very difficult ambition, is shamelessly collecting a criminal following that Al Capone will view with admiration.

As a Yoruba man I do not wan't Jonathan to win because it is clear he believes in buying and paying for support. That would translate into criminals like Oni, Oyinlola, Daniel and Alao Alaka getting four more years to continue their ruination of the SW region !!!! It was only recently we saw Jonathan's rigging antics in Ekiti alongside Dora Akunyili in direct testimony to how , precisely like OBJ, Jonathan does not care about ruining the developmental prospects of a region as long as he gains what he want's  !!!! How will Jonathan ever fight corrution when all of those accused of looting Nigeria dry through various corrupt deeds are all GEJ's Godfathers, benefactors, foot soldiers and election campaigners? Is it not only yesterday that this nation gained a President (Yar Adua) who virtually stalled the war against corruption because he was friend and godson to the most corrupt Nigerians alive?

Please try to understand what everyone is saying and forget your region of origin for once. Corruption is our biggest problem as a nation and no Nigerian , from past and present actions of Mr.President plus his association and body language , can say confidently that Jonathan is serious about tackling graft. You can announce all the laudable plans in the world but if the will to fight corruption is missing then Nigeria will continue to drift. Period.

When you say IBB belongs in jail , has it not occured to you that many of Jonathan's godfathers (OBJ, Anenih, Danjuma, et al) belong their also?

Gbawe:

Na-so , you are a gracious and civilised chap unlike that "agbero" Beaf, but you must understand that even decent folks are losing 'patience' with Jonathan's modus operandi . Whatever next ? Will he go around begging every local government chairman? He is the President , wether by design or accident . For god sake he should act like it !!!Mikeansy is a decent chap IMO and I think he speaks correctly about Jonathan. He fails to declare to run until every obstacle has been bulldozed , fairly and unfairly, out of his way !!! He signs the electoral act and we are now reading that he plans to appeal against sections of the act that disqualify his appointees from voting as delegates in the PDP primaries as I stated on another thread he will attempt to do (remember?). To make thing totally worse Jonathan , just to actualise a very difficult ambition, is shamelessly collecting a criminal following that Al Capone will view with admiration.

As a Yoruba man I do not wan't Jonathan to win because it is clear he believes in buying and paying for support. That would translate into criminals like Oni, Oyinlola, Daniel and Alao Alaka getting four more years to continue their ruination of the SW region !!!! It was only recently we saw Jonathan's rigging antics in Ekiti alongside Dora Akunyili in direct testimony to how , precisely like OBJ, Jonathan does not care about ruining the developmental prospects of a region as long as he gains what he want's !!!! How will Jonathan ever fight corrution when all of those accused of looting Nigeria dry through various corrupt deeds are all GEJ's benefactors? Is it not only yesterday that this nation gained a President (Yar Adua) who virtually stalled the war against corruption because he was friend and godson to the most corrupt Nigerians alive?

Please try to understand what everyone is saying and forget your region of origin for once. Corruption is our biggest problem as a nation and no Nigerian , from past and present actions of Mr.President plus his association and body language , can say confidently that Jonathan is serious about tackling graft. You can announce all the laudable plans in the world but if the will to fight corruption is missing then Nigeria will continue to drift. Period.

Was GEJ in charge during the ekiti elections? He was only mandated by his boss UMYA to help oni do some PR during the pre-election campaign. The guber elections where he was fully in charge as acting president was in Anambra. Now tell me was the Anambra elections rigged? if not why have refrained from giving some credit to GEJ for that? You see the bias I often complain about?

na_so:

Was GEJ in charge during the ekiti elections? He was only mandated by his boss UMYA to help oni do some PR during the pre-election campaign. The guber elections where he was fully in charge as acting president was in Anambra. Now tell me was the Anambra elections rigged? if not why have refrained from giving some credit to GEJ for that? You see the bias I often complain about?

No bias at all . Just logical pragmatism that allows me read the actions of leaders like Jonathan . Did Yar Adua not immediately bounce Andy Uba out of Anambra State house when he became President when he still needed to impress Nigerians and convince them of his "unshakeable belief in the rule of law"? remind me again the type of leader Yar Adua went on to become? Jonathan  had no real stake in the Anambra elections so he could afford to use it to decieve Nigerians.

The Ekiti election was different . It was "do or die" . The PDP , with 2011, in mind could not afford to lose one more State in the SW region because  their 4 to 2 majority will be destroyed . The fear of Tinubu's growing sagacity in the area meant that the PDP felt it must not fall short in a region that is keen to boot the party out. With that in mind , Jonathan showed his true colours in Ekiti . Even now , and daily, he is doing things that indicates rigging is on the agenda. I can therefore not praise him for what I deem to be an insincere action deployed to lull the electorate into a false sense of security. The signs are that Jonathan will attempt to rig in 2011. You cannot have the biggest election riggers in Nigeria in your camp , and be willingly taking instructions from them , if you wan't to organise free and fair elections.

There's such a thing as a tactical mistake; and i hope that by going to meet IBB on his turf (Niger state), the president hasnt made a blunder.

koolboi:

this is a shame if true
i hope its a rummor
the president of a nation going to have talks with someone that should be behind bars??

True my brother
Thats Nigeria for you

well said gbawe,since he has d big riggers in his camp, we should then vote for IBB/ATIKUhell NO!!!!!!!in my case i really want to vote,but i lack options and from wat i can see now,i will go wit GEJ

Poor Gbawe. I give him nightmares, he can never get my name out of his posts. . . Even when I'm not there!
Very funny!

[size=21pt]Uncle Joe, carry go!!! 2011 is yours![/size]

IBB must be stopped.

na_so:

Was GEJ in charge during the ekiti elections? He was only mandated by his boss UMYA to help oni do some PR during the pre-election campaign. The guber elections where he was fully in charge as acting president was in Anambra. Now tell me was the Anambra elections rigged? if not why have refrained from giving some credit to GEJ for that? You see the bias I often complain about?

Anambra and Ekiti is a tale of 2 elections where the incumbent Governor won in both elections. The suggestion that Ekiti was rigged while Anambra was not because one belongs to the PDP and the other does not is the funniest denial that goes on in Nigerian politics.

However lets leave that debate for another day.

GEJ was VP to Yar'adua and is as responsible as Yar'adua for all the attrocities committed. There is a thing called resignation and the moment you don't resign means you approve of what Yar'adua is doing. That is called standing up for your conviction. Let us all stop saying Yar'adu/Jonathan were in a joint ticket when it suits us and claiming that only Yar'adua can take responsibilities for the failures of the Presidency in the last 3 years when it does not suit us.


Jonathan can not erase the fact that he was part of a failed Government and his promises just like those of his own Government in the last 3years remains suspect.

MSRA:

There's such a thing as a tactical mistake; and i hope that by going to meet IBB on his turf (Niger state), the president hasnt made a blunder.

What blunder?
Does being President mean who should lack respect or not give diplomacy a shot? It is a wise man that gives his opponent a diplomatic step to climb down from. The meeting lasted for just 10 minutes, which means Jonathan didn't have the time for any long talk or anything to negotiate; he is the President and is very aware of the enormous power he weilds.

IBB and his "North" have been making all sorts of ugly noises, so it is in order to give their camp a rope to climb down from, they have refused, so now let everybody be very ready.