By Tunde Abatan
One of the most remarkable ‘legacies’ of former military President, Ibrahim Babangida – who was forced to step aside when his cup of deceit was full in 1993, following the uproar that greeted the annulment of the June12, presidential election, was his penchant for playing to the gallery.
He does this obviously to remain unpredictable and also largely to cultivate an enigmatic figure.
This was his style in his eight year tenure in governance and politics after he turned himself to an adventure soldier via a palace coup on August 25,1983.
While famous world leaders like Winston Churchill, Roosevelt and back home,Obafemi Awolowo, used their genius gifts to resolve issues around governance and improvement of their society, during difficult moments in their nations history, Babangidas tenure and aftermath has proved to Nigerians that he indeed is an evil genuis who used his brilliance to dribble the citizens from pillar to goalpost in his attempt to stay in power.
It is for nothing that late Governor of Ogun state and veteran journalist,Olabisi Onabanjo, described him as ‘Maradona’ of Nigeria’s politics.
This is to attest to his dribbling political ‘runs’ which invetiably becomes his archilees heels in the twilight of his endless political transition. But in spite of his maradonic skills,he soon found himself naked few days to his leaving power.
He found out rather too late, that his geniuses which border on insincerity of purpose made him to distort and damage the country’s cohesion and stability till date.
That he annulled the country’s freest election after eight years of unending political rigmaroling made nonsense of his supposed mastery of politics and use of power.
He has not only been consigned to the rubbish heap of history like some of those after him.
It is most unfortunate that he has in spite of the grave consequences of his misteps and actions, remain unapologetic of his errors of judgement which has permanently set the country’s political clock backward.
Yet, after many opportunities he had to come out and apologise for taking the country in a political wild goose chase, he has continued shamefully to justify the annulment of the June 12 presidential election which became his nemesis.
His declaration in an interview on Arise Television, last Friday, that if he had allowed the presidential election result which produced his friend, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola as President would have led to military coup is another vain attempt to lay the blame for his mistakes on the military.
That he claimed that his juniors in the military are powerful than him is an insult on Nigerians at whose behest those soldiers of fortune and himself earn their pay.
Having presided over one of the most corrupt military regimes in Nigeria, that Babangida has continued to run away from his shadow, 28 years after the election that would have changed Nigeria’s political history for good is a sad commentary and self effacing.
That his penchant for lies- which in case holds no water, has continued few days to his 80th birthday, is an indication of a man who refused to come to terms with reality of the harsh judgement of history staring him in the face.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere leader and one of the chieftains of NADECO ,described Babangida claim as a lie adding, “he never wanted to go but always shifting the goal post during his eight year tenure.”
As for the elder statesman, Babangidas style reinforced the belief that his ethnic group wanted to dominate others.
Honourable Wale Oshun,member of the third republic house of representatives during Babangidas staggered transition, also belief the gap- toothed general never wanted to vacate office as he also compromised the lower house in his attempt to stay in power then.
Besides, Oshun contended that the fact that everybody including the military establishment voted for Abiola put paid to Babangidas claims.
Indeed, the Arise interview never made any new revelation rather than reinforcing the coup theory which has refused to fly, 28 years after he has been repeating the same excuse.
It merely gave an opportunity for the evil genuis to admit that the present regime of Muhammadu Buhari is more corrupt than the one he presided over.
No matter his grandstanding, Nigerians have refused to believe his sincerity.
He may thus carry his hidden pains of failure to the grave thus denying others lessons of his fall from grace to grass.
Haters of Tinubu:
Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Nigeria’s first President must be smiling in his grave now that at last he has a living companion in being a victim of orchestrated death wishes as the recent experience of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown.
Pic 15. APC Chaieftain, Chief Bola Tinubu briefing State House Correspondents after his meeting with President
Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday (30/10/17)
05775/30/10/2017/Callistus Ewelike/NAN
Tinubu, has in the last three months been reported dead several times both by political foes and friends,the media inclusive.
It will be recalled that in 1989, it was a charismatic follower of the late Owelle of Onitsha, Chief RBK Okafor, who gleefully addressed a press conference in Lagos to announce the passage of his political mentor,Dr Azikwe.
How could the press which know the relationship between the duo refused to belief him.
Alas,two days later when political associates have started ruminating in their minds how to give their leader a decent burial, that the great Zik emerge from his Onuiyi Haven in Onitsha to personally deny rumours of his death.
You ask yourself why Okafor was in a hurry to announce his leaders death when he has not personally confirm using his close connection to the Owelle family?.
What is more, the Owelle survived all his associates and ‘enemies’ who spread rumours of his death.
He died,in 1997,eight years later
For Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the most popular and influential political leader in the South West today and one of the most discussed politician in Nigeria, death rumours have of late become the past time of his ‘enemies’ .
Since he assumed control over the political direction of the South West in 2003 when he emerged as the’ last man standing’ out of the ruins of the Alliance for Democracy,AD,which kiss the dust in 2003,having lost five of it’s six states to the ruling People’s Democratic Party,PDP, he has become the man to beat in strategy and politics. This attribute, he has used repeatedly to stay relevant while his peers in office between 1999 and 2007 has palled into insignificance.
Tinubu has become number one enemy of political opponents in the region especially with his success at using his political machinery to form both the Action Congress,AC and Action Congress of Nigeria,ACN ,which later became the strong partner that gave birth to All Progressives Congress, APC.
The APC not only won the Presidency becoming the first opposition to do so in Nigeria,it also took the SW into the mainstream of national politics, whatever that may mean .
Tinubus ‘sins’ is not limited to his larger than life position and influence in the SW, but also his contributing to the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari whose policies and programmes with it’s ethno centric bent has ironically become unattractive to Nigerians especially the SW people, political elite and followers.With less than two years to the end of his tenure,Buharis style and policies has become Tinubus political cross.
This is clear especially in the face of insecurity, social hardship and dwindling economic fortunes in the land.
Thus, when he failed to show up at the June 16,2021, one- day working visit of President Buhari to Lagos,for commissioning of Lagos-Ibadan railway, news of his death due to rumoured I’ll health gained ground.
Though, he returned to the country few days later from a private visit to France according to his aides, yet the rumour mill propelled by ‘hate’ refused to subside.
Again in early July, rumours filled the air about the alleged demise of the APC national leader outside the country also due to serious health complications.
Indeed, yours truly was regaled by one colleague who almost put his life on line to swear about Tinubus death.
He declared that as a matter of fact , the former third republic senator was admitted in a United States hospital a few weeks ago but passed into coma last week Sunday due to complications from a surgery he went through.
Yet, other sources claimed that the politician passed on in his Bourdillon house mid last week but activities to perfect his burial was been put together before official announcement.
When prodded further to justify this claim,on account of his being a Moslem, the source brushed this aside saying his position would not warrant his burial same day.
But Tunde Rahman, media aide to the Lagos politician pondered, “Who Really is afraid of Tinubu”?
He warned, “those wishing Tinubu dead should be careful,they should knew that matter of life and death is in the hand of only God almighty”.
For Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, a trip to Tinubus house in London last week Tuesday, was all what he needs to deny rumours of Tinubus death and put to shame rumour mongers.
“He is hale and hearty when I met him and we discussed about state of the nation and politics” declared Sanwoolu who also complemented this claim with pictures of their meeting that Thursday afternoon.
For as long as rumours of Tinubus estrangement with his party,the APC,and his alleged frosty relationship with Buhari on account of his presidential bid, so long will the rumour mill of his death continue.
This strange attitude historically has made such leaders staying stronger and live longer than their traducers who always got carried away by envy and hate not based on strong evidence.
Nature has a way of playing game with issues.
