GENERAL BABANGIDA AND DEMOCRACY

Next year precisely 29-may-2007 Nigerians would have a new democratically elected Executive President as tenure of President Olusegen Obasanjo came to an end .Among the prominents contenders for the exalted seat of the President of the Federal Republic is former self-style Military President General Ibrahim Babangida .

With the declaration by IBB to contest the 2007 election, his supporters and those oppose to him are in deep debate on his suitability or otherwise to return to helm of affairs .Political analyst and commentators had been expressing their views on the chances or otherwise on his ability to win 2007 election or not.

On the part of the present administration political analyst are of the view that IBB does not enjoy the support of the led P.D.P goverment as there are pre-emtive attacks to ambush him to chicken out especially with regard of detaining of his son Mohammed Babangida on allegation of owning 24 percent of globacom shares ,petition on revisiting the trial and execution of late Mamman Vatsa for allegely involment in overthrow of Babangida's military goverment .

Supporters of General Babangida are of the view that during his regime there was alot of developments ,reforms and policies that had made impact positively on the lives of Nigerians .They said among his achievements while in office are National Directorate of Employment (N.D.E), People's Bank, Federal Road Safety Corps,(FRSC) ,DEFRI,MAMSER, construction of of roads such as Kaduna to Kano dual carriage way ,establishment of political parties anf funding them ,Better Life Proggramme for Rural Women ,relocating the Federal Capital to Abuja e.t.c IBB supporters are of the view that if given another chance there would be more development and growth in various sectors of the economy more than when he was ruling as a military dictator .

Some Nigerians are of the view that General Babangida should first of all explain to Nigerians his role and reasons for annulment of June 12 election ,how did his govermrnt utilise the over 12 billion dollars Nigeria got fromoil windfall during the gulf war , death of Dele Giwa , Nigeria's entering Organisation for Islamic Countries and returning diplomatic relations with State of Isreal ,accepting World Bank loan/IMF conditionalities and introducing Structural Adjustment Proggrame (SAP)which had devalue the Naira and inflicted untold hardship to Nigerians.

The fundemental question to ask General Babangida and his supporters is when did he believed in democratic system of governance.During his regime he implemented policies that cause great harm to democracy .He ban and unbanned politicians. He annulled the party primaries that Malam Adamu Ciroma of NRC and late General Shehu Yar'adua of SDP emerged as presidential flagbearers .

General Babangida's endless transitions finally came to an end with the annulment of June 12 election which Alhaji Bashir Tofa of NRC and late Chief MKO Abiola of SDP contested the presidential election .The June 12 annullment led to political crises and instability which led General Babangida to "step aside"after eight years in office and miss the oppurtunity to handover to a democratically elected goverment.

The annullement of June 12 election by IBB regime triggered political instability which Nigeria had never encountered after the Nigerian civil war .The uprising and rebellion that the Yoruba from the South-west led in support of their "son"who from all indications Abiola was about to emerge the winner forced other sections of the country to conceed the 1999 election to the South west .To appease the Yoroba of the South west General Babangida played a great role in emergence of General Olusegun Obasanjo for PDP and Chief Olu Falae for APP/AD ticket , and finally worked for the emergence of Obasanjo as winner of the 1999 election.

In the past seven years of President Obasanjo's administration how many times did General Babangida spoke against policies that had inflicted untold hardship on the masses? Even when the Northerners were crying that they have been marginalised by the present administration did he (Babangida) rise to their defense?

General Babangida has inform Nigerians that he will definately contest the 2007 election so as to return to Aso Rock .Political analsyst and commentators have been analysing the role IBB will play that will led him to win or lost the election .During the first tenure of president Obasanjo IBB supporters had been calling on him to contest the 2003 election .But IBB had made it clear that he will not contest any election against president Obasanjo .Now that it is certain that president Obasanjo will not contest the 2007 elections contrary to expectations of Nigerians that president Obasanjo will support IBB indications are showing that he had changed his mind if there was such an agreement between them .

In such a situation that General Babangida is not enjoying the backing of president Obasanjo and two powerful contenders for the presidency in persons of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and General Muhammadu Buhari ,IBB will definately find it difficult to actualise his ambition.

Definately ,IBB is very powerful and influntial in Nigerian politics with loyalist and supporters spread across the Nation .It is left for him (IBB) to know his ways in selling himself to Nigerians so as to vote for him to return back as democratically elected president.His manifestors might made Nigerians to change their mind on how they view him and support him to return to power.

Participation of IBB in politics is a good omen that definately democracy had come to stay in Nigeria which had over the years been hijack by military regimes that had dwarf Nigeria's development in all spheres of life.

2007 election have become a challenge to IBB as he had already said that he will contest , for him to chicken out will prove critics of IBB right that he does not have the courage to participate in elections.Secondly also if IBB happens to lose the 2007 election he will be demythify and if he wins then IBB had prove that he is the most influntial ,charismatic and powerful Nigerian in modern times .And this will give him the oppurtunity to re-write his name in Nigerian history .

General Babangida might have his plans on how to return to Aso Rock in 2007 and for us the massesc our prayers are for emergence of leadership that will put a smile on our faces .If General Babangida have positive intentions for Nigeria and Nigerians ,we wish him the best of luck for his endeavor to return to Aso Rock in 2007.



Shehu Mustapha Chaji