I dreaded contesting against IBB -Jonathan

The Tribune Online
Written by Dipo Laleye,
Minna: Thursday, 24 February 2011.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday confessed that he became “very weak” when he thought he would contest the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida.

Jonathan, who made the confession during his presidential campaign in Minna, the Niger State capital, said he became weak because “General Babangida is like a father to me.”

“Babangida is like a father to me, even in my days as a deputy governor and later as governor of Bayelsa State, I used to consult him. So when it came to the option that I might contest with him, I was very weak, but God knows why and God interpreted it and we never contested the primary,” Jonathan said.

President Jonathan expressed gratitude to the former military president “for congratulating me when I emerged as the standard-bearer of the PDP at the end of the primary” and said General Babangida was absent at the rally on Wednesday because “he had to travel out of the country.”

The president also commended the courage of General Abdulsalami Abubakar for handing over to a democratically elected government in the country within the shortest time possible and despite the pressure mounted on him to extend his tenure.

“We remain grateful to the people of Niger State for giving us a son that has made history in Africa, a son that had the opportunity to continue in office for at least four more years and nobody in the world would have stopped him, if he had come up with a transition programme that would last another four years,” the president said.

Jonathan, who recalled that in 2007 during the presidential rally in Niger State that he stood in for the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who was in Katsina State for the burial of the Emir of Daura, said he was also alone in Minna for a similar event on Wednesday, because, as the ‘senior,’ he asked the vice-president to preside over the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council in Abuja.

“Now I have no excuse. I am in charge. When I addressed the rally in 2007, I was the second in command, now I am in charge. So anything I say I must do it. I will have no reason to give anybody excuses.”
The president said his administration would not discriminate against anybody, either on account of tribe or religion, adding that “we will run an open government.”

He maintained that for Nigeria to change and be among the comity of industrialised nations of the world, “we must create wealth,” saying this would be achieved by stabilising the country’s energy sector and revolutionising agriculture.

“We must work hard to create wealth because if we do not in the next few years, we will create a huge population of destitutes in the country.”

Earlier, the Niger State governor, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, had said that the state had put the PDP presidential primary behind it and that those still nursing the wound of the primary were bad losers.
He described President Jonathan as a “man of sense and justice,” assuring him that the state would vote for the Jonathan /Sambo ticket.

Other speakers at the rally were the acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Haliru Bello Mohammed, the Minister of Agriculture, Professor Sheikh Abdallah, former governor of Kano State, Aminu Isa Kontagora, among others.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/18003-i-dreaded-contesting-against-ibb-jonathan

And this is the man some silly Nigerians proclaim as: ''goodluck to Nigerians''.

The same IBB that had Dokpesi as his campaign manager who was accused of the October 1 2010 terror bomb blast in Abuja.

Like father like son - I would say.

Pataki:

And this is the man some silly Nigerians proclaim as: ''goodluck to Nigerians''.

The same IBB that had Dokpesi as his campaign manager who was accused of the October 1 2010 terror bomb blast in Abuja.

Like father like son - I would say.

So I am silly for supporting Mr President? No wahala. I will still continue to support and encourage all my acquintances to support. I see nothing but a simple courtesy to IBB in his own state and in his own town. It would be political foolishness for Mr President to go to Minna trample upon IBB.

Finally, me thinks its silly to call another man silly because he has a different opinion.


Take care.

GEJ obviously has a problem with words. IBB, like a father? Even the devil will be his uncle if it will guaranty him the presidency. Shame

noblezone:

It would be political foolishness for Mr President to go to Minna trample upon IBB.

And yet it was not political foolishness for the Mr President to come to South West and call opposition parties - rascals?

Then the devil must be like a grandfather to him

This is a proper case of calling a ram your elder brother because you want to eat meat!A really deep look at this guy will discover he is fake. How can we have a president with absolutely no principles? Didn't he suggest IBB was responsible for the Oct. Bomb blast? And now he is his father abi. IMO I think he is merely taking Nigerians for a ride!

apoti:

Then the devil must be like a grandfather to him

And HELL FIRE must be the abode.

i cannot resist

what spin will beaf put on this

“Babangida is like a father to me, even in my days as a deputy governor and later as governor of Bayelsa State, I used to consult him. So when it came to the option that I might contest with him, I was very weak, but God knows why and God interpreted it and we never contested the primary,” Jonathan said.

ibb taught him well, the ECA embezzlement dwarfs the 12 billion gulf oil windfall

SMH

pj5:

This is a proper case of calling a ram your elder brother because you want to eat meat!A really deep look at this guy will discover he is fake. How can we have a president with absolutely no principles? Didn't he suggest IBB was responsible for the Oct. Bomb blast? And now he is his father abi. IMO I think he is merely taking Nigerians for a ride!

I couldn't have agreed more, he is absolutely without principles.
And that is the problem I have with him. His supporters claim he has a "good heart" and "good luck". But he surrounds himself with thieves and criminals  .
Show me your friends and i can tell who you are,

JONTHAN SHOULD GET IT INTO HIS THICK HEAD THAT IBB IS NOT AN ASSET BUT LIABILTY, OBVIOUSLY GEJ NEEDS NIGER STATE VOTES, SO RESULTING TO HIM CALLING " MALU BROTHA".

Joe Boy Panders to everything and everybody, I watched the Niger state campaign, The governor of the state already pledged all his votes to him so why pander to IBB again? The guy is not confident of himself,simple!!!

Jonathan has demonstrated over and over again that he lacks the character to lead this country. IBB as an adviser

Moroooooooooooooooooooon

dis jonathan just disgusts me! so, he finks its by eulogizing ibb dat he will get northern support? how does he expect westerners to react? just as he stupidly sed the west was the most important part of nigeria. this guy just gets on my nerves wiv his dumb utterances. Gosh! and i soooo liked this guy wen he first came,

Cadaver:

dis jonathan just disgusts me! so, he finks its by eulogizing ibb dat he will get northern support? how does he expect westerners to react? just as he stupidly sed the west was the most important part of nigeria. this guy just gets on my nerves wiv his dumb utterances. Gosh! and i soooo liked this guy wen he first came,

The bolded part is insightful, if the Northerners really love IBB why didnt they take to the street when he wasnt voted in by PDP?

Who writes Jonathan's speeches? Who are his political advisers? they should be lined up for firing squad!