Renewed agitations on zoning has vindicated me - IBB •Says Nigeria’ll be doomed without zoning

Written by Idowu Samuel, Abuja Monday, 16 May 2011

Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, at the weekend, said he had finally been vindicated on his position on zoning of national political offices, moreso by the renewed controversy over zoning of national political offices less than a month after the general election in country.

He said his clamour for zoning of federal powers had finally been vindicated by recent events as, according to him, failure of the powers that be in Nigeria to heed his suggestion on zoning had started creating a backlash through renewed agitations on zoning among the country’s ethnic groups.

He, however, denied a news report associating him with interest in the chairmanship position of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the report as untrue.

The former military president said he found it unbelievable that those who had been kicking against zoning had suddenly turned beneficiaries of the concept within a short period of time.

He said, “If those who shouted hoax over the issue of zoning in the PDP yesterday, (saying as it were, that the party’s constitution should be jettisoned), are now made to be beneficiaries of zoning in the party today, then we all are doomed as a nation.”

There had been heated controversy on the issue of zoning of the office of Senate President, House of Representatives Speaker, the PDP national chairman, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Deputy Senate President and that of the House of Representatives by the National Caucus of PDP.

Babangida said he found it painful to arrive at a conclusion that the calibre and quality of those who have emerged to hold political offices at the highest level in Nigeria were not strong enough, stating pointedly, “the nation may just have to wait for another generation to get things right.”

Babangida said he had not altered his view on zoning, and did not intend doing so, just as he expressed shock about “Nigerians’ ingenuous capacity to make a 360-degree U-turn on the issue of zoning”.

He said, “when the Northern Political Leaders’ Forum raised concerns over the zoning formula of the PDP and the deliberate disobedience of that constitutional provision, some Nigerians called the body all manner of names. While some argued that zoning should be discarded and merit should be the subsisting criteria, the voice of those who stressed the importance of zoning was lost in the maddening crowd. After the elections, the music has suddenly changed and the chorus is now zoning, zoning, zoning and zoning. How time heals.”

In a statement issued on his behalf by his media consultant, Kazeem Sule Afegbua, Babangida said he was of the view that that those who aspire to lead Nigeria at different levels of government must come out with certain qualities that will portray them as patriotic and nationalistic.

He accused the antagonists of zoning of hypocrisy, averring, “there will be no hope for the country if those who double-speak are made to preside over certain levels of government in the name of dubious politicking and zoning which they never believed in.”

He added, “the character indices of our leaders must be known at different times and levels. Their elements must be visible and patriotic. Their conduct must be above pecuniary interest. And above all, their desperation must be checked within the ambit of law.

“What manner of supposed leaders are we nurturing? What character of leaders are we building? How do we want the world to perceive us as a people? Those who advertise hypocrisy and self-righteous indignation cannot by any stretch of imagination be allowed to occupy positions in the name of zoning.

“General Babangida’s position on zoning has not wavered. As a product of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, with different tribes and tongues, he believes in the efficacy of zoning as a stabilising instrument of political engagement. Those who shy away from such incontrovertible political requirement to put paid to all cries of marginalisation cannot simply wake up overnight to be beneficiaries of what they never believed in. In a democracy, we should learn to play by the rules no matter how painful it might be and no matter whose ox is gored.

And lastly, General IBB does not have any interest in the chairmanship of the PDP Board of Trustees, whether now or in the foreseeable future,the statement added.

Beaf:

There is a very big gulf between IBB's understanding of zoning and what PDP is practising.

IBB's definition of zoning is due to his poor command of English. He has misunderstood balancing of political power between regions and religions as being the same as power rotation. NOT!

GEJ explained PDP's zoning long ago. After the President and VP have been elected, then the offices under them are balanced across the country. Simple.
Zoning is not rotation.

Eziachi:

God! I really wonder how people like you sleep at night as you try to convince yourself that electric power is the same as candlelight Those that double speak will have their tongue eaten by termite one day.

Beaf:

Dude, Babangida was not priviledged to attend proper school, so he is excused for his mental shabiness, but you on the other hand cannot be excused.
Check the dictionery definitions of the words zoning and rotation.

Beaf:

Dude, Babangida was not priviledged to attend proper school, so he is excused for his mental shabiness, but you on the other hand cannot be excused.
Check the dictionery definitions of the words zoning and rotation.

Johndoe100:

Why should he be excused, he is s much an illiterate as IBB.

Eziachi:

I think you have become a prisoner of some follow-follow ideology, hence you had yourself boxed into a box, forcing you to defend the indefensible, trying hard all the time to justify your ideological stance irrespective of how irrationaal. That is why I always advise people to tow the line reality rather than ideology in their course of life, especially in our unpredicable fast changing world.

Your blind folloership of Mr Jonathan has made you a prisoner of your own conscience and that concience now is telling you that if ever you had to disagree with anything Jonathan, you had sinned. I don't envy you at all, especially with such a blind loyalty to a Nigerian politician of all persons. It will only end in disappointment, heartache and tears.

GEJ is president today because along with others like him in PDP said to the world that merit is the word from now on, anything called zoning, rotation or quota as long as governance is concerned is now dead and buried. Then Southerners like yourself became apostles of zoning is dead syndrome. And I said then that though I don't like zoning , rotation or whatever how you want to dress it myself as a way of choosing a serving leadership, still those calling for the burial of zoning are not sincere and if they stick with it, they will come to regret because it was based on short term political gain and opportunism.

Those on the side of zoning like IBB are also doing it not for the love of nation but for selfish reasons but still the morality of the arguement was on their side. So how come immediatly after the election when merit should now take its place, the main beneficiary of zoning is dead syndrome(GEJ) is not talking about zoning or rotation and IBB like other northerners has reason raise some questions. Someone like Ogbulafor who was kicked out and disgraced as PDP chairman because of positive stance towards zoning has reason to feel slighted.

And now to justifty the new 360 degrees change, you had to educate us on rotation and zoning?

This is why I don't believe in Nigeria and never will, because a nation where people double talk at will and no question is asked, not even from among the so called citizens.

Eziachi:

I think you have become a prisoner of some follow-follow ideology, hence you had yourself boxed into a box, forcing you to defend the indefensible, trying hard all the time to justify your ideological stance irrespective of how irrationaal. That is why I always advise people to tow the line reality rather than ideology in their course of life, especially in our unpredicable fast changing world.

Your blind folloership of Mr Jonathan has made you a prisoner of your own conscience and that concience now is telling you that if ever you had to disagree with anything Jonathan, you had sinned. I don't envy you at all, especially with such a blind loyalty to a Nigerian politician of all persons. It will only end in disappointment, heartache and tears.

GEJ is president today because along with others like him in PDP said to the world that merit is the word from now on, anything called zoning, rotation or quota as long as governance is concerned is now dead and buried. Then Southerners like yourself became apostles of zoning is dead syndrome. And I said then that though I don't like zoning , rotation or whatever how you want to dress it myself as a way of choosing a serving leadership, still those calling for the burial of zoning are not sincere and if they stick with it, they will come to regret because it was based on short term political gain and opportunism.

Those on the side of zoning like IBB are also doing it not for the love of nation but for selfish reasons but still the morality of the arguement was on their side. So how come immediatly after the election when merit should now take its place, the main beneficiary of zoning is dead syndrome(GEJ) is not talking about zoning or rotation and IBB like other northerners has reason raise some questions. Someone like Ogbulafor who was kicked out and disgraced as PDP chairman because of positive stance towards zoning has reason to feel slighted.

And now to justifty the new 360 degrees change, you had to educate us on rotation and zoning?

This is why I don't believe in Nigeria and never will, because a nation where people double talk at will and no question is asked, not even from among the so called citizens.

J12:

IBB is right. We need zoning in Nigeria to feed our tribalististic stomachs. Why should zoning be stopped when the federal character clause is constitutional? 

kasiem:

There is no way that any sane man can come out and tell us that zoning is not required in nigeria, with all the tribalistic differences attached to our natural instincts. The most credible person in nigeria can never rule this country without making his tribe or region priority, cos charity begins at home. The only truth that any pragmatic person can tell us is that any zone that gets the slot should come out with the best candidate. Why are some of us the pro-gej trying to drain the truth, cos we feel that we're on favored side? Let the truth be said! Without zoning, no southerner will ever taste that exalted seat, cos the population of the northerners will always tell.

lucabrasi:

as much as i dont like the man he is totally right on the issue of zoning,it is needed for the continued unity of nigeria at least till our democracy becomes unshakeable

noblezone:

Let me laf in Igbo first.

Fact is:
Nigeria is doomed with or without zoning!
You know why? We are different nations forced to live together under one name. We have never been one, we are not one and we are not going to be one.

At least, not with the Jihardists going on rampage slaughtering men, women and children in a manner less dignified than their cows.

Just two days ago, the Tivs in Benue and bailing out the pool of blood left by those blood thirsty monsters. Nigeria is joke.