The statement said to have been issued by former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, advising President Muhammadu Buhari not to stay in office beyond 2019 owing to his failure to effect the needed change in the life of the country has sparked the fire of controversy.
Babangida and his spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, have disagreed over the authority to issue the statement.
In the statement, Babangida was unequivocal in his call on Buhari to leave office by 2019 and give room for young and dynamic Nigerians of “digital age” to carry on the administration of the country.
The former military president condemned the spate of killings in the country and called on Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the coming election to vote Buhari out.
But barely few hours after the statement was issued by his spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, on Sunday, another statement was released to counter it.
In the last statement personally signed by Babangida, the earlier statement was said to be the opinion of the writer, Afegbua.
He said he had unrestricted access to the seat of power and could not have resorted to issuing a statement like the first one to advise President Buhari.
“It has been drawn to my attention a press statement on the State of the Nation, particularly 2019 general elections and beyond.
“Let me categorically state that as former President and Statesman, I have unfettered channel of communication with the highest authorities without sensational public correspondence, therefore those views expressed over there are personal views of the writer,” Babangida wrote.
Afegbua has however reacted to the denial of the statement he issued on behalf of Babangida.
Speaking on a programme on Channels Television, Sunday Politics, Afegbua stated: “I have been doing this job for 13 years now. I have never issued a statement on behalf of General Babangida and you get a rebuttal…
“I extracted commitment from him (Babangida) before I issued that statement. The former military president authorised the statement I issued. I didn’t just put out the statement on my own…
“He has called me to say that the statement still stands.”
The new statement signed by Babangida reads:
It has been drawn to my attention a press statement on the State of the nation, particularly 2019 general elections and beyond.
Let me categorically state that as former President and Statesman, I have unfettered channel of communication with the highest authorities without sensational public correspondence, therefore those views expressed over there are personal views of the writer.
However, with due respect to individual opinion and constitutional rights, it is worrisome that Political events and civil unrest in many part of the country, has raised many questions on the governance and unity. Indeed 2018 is inundated with seasons of literatures on the corporate existence of this country. Many of such literatures have shown concerns of the corporate existence of Nigeria beyond 2019 general elections.
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It will be recalled, that in my message to this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, I specifically expressed the dire need for proactive measures to stop farmers/herders clashes in the middle belt, Cattle rustling, armed robbery, Kidnapping, gangsterism and Cultism. Our security agencies have to step up surveillance with more efforts on intelligence gathering for maximum success.
Recent happenings and utterances by political gladiators is alarming and not in the interest of common man that is already overstretched and apparently living from hand to mouth due to precarious economic conditions. Despite all these challenges, I am optimistic that the political actors will play within the ambits of political norms and decorum to ameliorate the problems facing our society now.
I am a realist that believes in all issues in a democratic atmosphere are sincerely discussed and resolved in the spirit of give and take. Since after my military years that metamorphosed to the only Military President in the history of Nigeria and my civilian life, I always have one clear objective that freedom can only be achieved through democracy. Some people find this freedom as an avenue for eroding democracy by antics of hate speeches under the guise of religion, tribal or self imposed mentorship. This trend of pitching political class and the people is unhealthy and skewed.
The clamour for re-alignment of governance in the country as we are approaching 2019 election year is a welcome development only if the agitations are genuinely channeled through legislation and total supremacy of the constitution . Any attempt outside this circle of democratic tenants is deceptive and divisive idea capable of plunging our political journey into disarray.
Our present political parties and their structures need parameter pillars that will make them more strong with unique ideologies. However, our present political parties need surgical operation that will fusion them in to a reasonable numbers. I have been an advocate of two party systems but in our present reality in Nigeria, our political parties can fusion into strong political association/party that can form a formidable opposition to a ruling party.
As students of history, we are aware that many advanced democracies have two distinct ideological political parties, with a handful of smaller political parties that serve as buffer whenever any of the known political parties derailed or became unpopular. I still believe in two party systems as the best option for Nigeria.
It is high time that, we dialogue more on any issue in order to have a political solution on any problem affecting us. It is sad that, Nigeria had its fare share of conflicts, and we cannot continue to fall back to those dark years of bloodshed.
As a people, now is the time to come together to address all Communal conflicts and criminality under any guise to further unite the country in line with the vision of our founding fathers so that as a nation, we can forge ahead in the task of building a more prosperous nation.