Outrage trails OBJ/IBB face off

Posted by admin Ibrahim Babangida (1985-93), Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-79, 99-07), Presidency Friday, August 19th, 2011

A mixture of outrage and plea for ceasefire, on Friday trailed the altercations between former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.

The face-off was triggered by a comment credited to Babangida, describing the eight-year rule of Obasanjo as a failure in a comparative term.

In his reaction, Obasanjo derided IBB, alluding to him as a fool, provoking the latter to describe Obasanjo as a bigger fool.

Apparently worried about the dimension of the feud, the President of the Senate, David Mark, on Friday, appealed to the leaders to sheathe their swords in the interest of the nation.

Mark, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, urged the leaders to refrain from making further inflammatory remarks capable of destroying all the efforts they had sunk into building the nation.

“As statesmen, you cannot afford to resolve your differences on the pages of newspapers. You have contributed immensely to the growth and development of this nation.

Your responsibility is to advise those coming after you on the challenges confronting our nation today and in the future,” the Senate President said.

He cautioned associates of the generals not to expand the horizon of the disagreement, adding that “we should continue to pray for peaceful co-existence among all.”

Also commenting, National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum(ACF), Mr. Anthony Sani, said, ”As long as the exchanges between the two former presidents would help Nigerians knew the truth about how they ruled, as well as assist the current leaders to avoid past pitfalls by improving the volume and quality of govrernance, there should be no qualm.”

Similarly, Alhaji Mohammed Abdurahman, a former Secretary of the Political Committee of the ACF, said the leaders were still living in the past.

Abdurahman said: ”Their comic engagements with the polity is designed to distract and confuse the leadership about their brotherhood. But President Goodluck Jonathan must understand that between these two very cunny former heads of state lies a huge and robust loyalty to them of at least 55 per cent of top presidential aides in Aso Rock Villa, whose assignment is most probably to monitor and sensor all Jonathan’s efficient/effective policies and political plans and actions, and ensure that they either leak them, delay, reverse or stop action to achieve pre-planned effects.

“With the Islamic banking and single term intentional confusion as launching pad, more are on the way. The stage is set to distract governance, implant distrust and fear in the Villa. It is a time for a job performance and work execution audit in Aso Rock. God save Nigeria from these people (amen).”

In the same vein, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Oyo State and a former Secretary to the Government of the late Chief Kolapo Ishola, Dr. Dejo Raimi, descended on the generals, calling them a pack of fools.

Speaking with Saturday Tribune at his Ibadan residence, on Friday, Raimi said their outbursts showed they lacked discipline, adding: “They are both usurpers of powers who should go to hell.”

In his reaction, a leader of Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae, urged the leaders to bury the hatchet and turn a new leaf.wp_posts