IBB'S GAMBLE

Nigerian former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida’s ambition to return to the Aso Rock Villa 17 years after ‘stepping aside’ generates strong opposition across the country. But, with the alleged backing of the US and other western powers, the gap-toothed general seems confident of achieving his tall ambition. Writes Sulaimon Alamutu

When General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida announced, in 1993 after much pressure from the Nigerian masses that he would be stepping aside from power, many had observed that the general was not done, yet, with the country. He was characteristically mercurial in the choice of words used in the speech he delivered before a special joint session the National Assembly in August 1993.
“Following a lengthy deliberations with my service chiefs, I offered as my own personal sacrifice to voluntarily step aside as the president and commander in chief of the armed forces of the federal republic of Nigeria.” He said
Truly, Babangida, as many had rightly noted, is proving that his stepping aside almost 17 years ago actually meant he would return one day to rule Nigeria. And that exactly is what preoccupies his mind at the moment. Early last month he declared his intension and resolve to context the 2011 presidential election in the country. Recently on BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, the former military dictator flaunted what he calls his democratic credentials to include conducting the freest and fairest election ever in the history of Nigeria. He also boasted that he could pitch his tent on any of Nigeria’s 51 political parties to realize his ambition if the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, does not give him the presidential ticket.
But Nigerians were quick to rise against what they described as another tragedy. Tragedy in the sense that it was the same IBB that rocked the boat of the country’s match to democratic independence in 1993 when he annulled the June 12 election conducted by his administration and adjudged the most freest and fairest in the history of the country by both local and international observers. This is just one out of many sins of general Babangida, which many Nigerians considered unforgiveable. He is reputed to have institutionalized corruption and the culture of looting in the country’s political system. He participated in no less than three coups before installing himself in 1985 after ousting General Muhammadu Buhari from power (He participated in the coup that brought in Buhari).
While in power, some of the policies implemented by his administration practically left the country belly-flat with the nation’s currency, the Naira, depreciating against major currencies across the world. His Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), believed to have been implemented on the advice of the IMF/World Bank, wreaked monumental havoc on the country’s economy and by extension made living conditions of Nigerians more deplorable. Inflation assumed a doomsday scenario during this period, rising from 5,4% in 1986 to 40,9% in 1989, and practically destroyed the very fabric of Nigerian society. This inflation was the principle price of Babangida's SAP measures, which include external debt management strategies, removal of subsidies on petroleum products and fertilizer, privatization and commercialization, trade liberalization, and interest rate deregulation.
The SAP-induced inflation resulted in adverse income redistribution, leading to increased personal insecurity and lessened personal satisfaction, while heightening interpersonal and institutional tensions and deterring investment and inhibited consumer spending.
Other adverse effects of Babangida’s SAP, according to John C Anyanwu in a paper titled: “President Babangida's Structural Adjustment Programme and Inflation in Nigeria,” include the depletion of external reserves; a worsening balance of payments position; the diversion of managerial talent from managing production, maintaining efficiency and innovating, in favour of manoenvring and speculation for protection against (or benefit from) inflation.
Babangida’s eight years at the helm of affairs in Africa’s most populous nation saw him become richer than many African countries with personal wealth running into billion of US dollars. Quoting from Jeffery Robinson’s book, The Sink, a renowned author and leader of World Pan-African Movement, Naiwu Osahon said, “Of the $120 billion siphoned out of the Nigerian treasury into offshore accounts by dishonest politicians, $20 billion is allegedly traceable to IBB directly as president from 1985 to 1993.” He stated further that “the World Bank and other international sources of information put his total loot from the Nigerian treasury at over $35 billion.”
According to Osahon, who wrote a piece on IBB on Saharareporters, an online investigative news media, the Gulf war oil windfall is Babangida’s often-referenced loot. He gave an insight: “Abacha set up a panel headed by the highly respected economist, Pius Okigbo, in October, 1994, to reorganize the CBN. Okigbo’s panel discovered that $12.2 billion of the $12.4 billion accruable from the Gulf War excess crude oil sales was frittered away or unaccounted for, through nebulous or phantom projects that could not be traced. Only $206 million was left in the account. According to Okigbo, “disbursements were clandestinely undertaken while the country was openly reeling with crushing external debt overhead. These represent, no matter the initial justification for creating the account, a gross abuse of public trust.”
Perhaps, what may stand as a major albatross to the self-styled evil genius’s ambition is the mystery surrounding the death of a foremost Nigerian editor, Dele Giwa, during his regime. There had been speculations that Babangida’s government had a hand in the death of Giwa, who was blasted by a parcel bomb suspected to have been delivered by agents of the administration. Late human rights lawyer and activists, Gani Fawehinmi spent many years trying to get IBB charged for the murder to no avail.
Babangida institutionalized the office of the First Lady, which was hitherto alien to the Nigerian system. Throughout the eight years his wife Maryam Babangida, now late, bestrode the country like a colossus.
With all these ‘heinous crimes’ committed against the Nigerian people by Babangida, will his ambition to rule the country again be welcome? Even with the alleged backing of his candidature by the west, this appears impossible going by the growing opposition both within and outside the country. A group called RALLY AGAINST IBB GROUP, which was formed in Italy and garnering support from Nigerians in Europe, has called for a mass rally against the move by the International Community to impose the candidature of the former military dictator on Nigeria ahead of 2011 presidential election. The group has slated 29th May 2010, as the day to rally against Babangida in Europe. The social network site, Facebook, has been awash with anti-IBB postings and many websites and blogs are springing up to campaign against him.
Professor Akin Oyebode of the University of Lagos law department describes IBB’s attempt to return to power “as a colossal assault on the national psyche.”
Another group, the National Democratic Forum, has already commenced a campaign to stop IBB from running for president in 2011.
The campaign tagged ‘Say No To IBB’, according to the National Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, would use all legitimate means to stop Babangida from becoming the president of Nigeria.
Explaining why Nigerians should frustrate the return of Babangida, Vatsa said the eight years of military rule under the former leader was the most unfortunate moment in the nation’s history.
According to him, “It was eight years of misrule and one wonders what unfinished projects he left behind that he is seeking the means to come back and accomplish. If he was a president, as he claimed and he ruled for eight years, he has served both first and second term and has no business being there again.”
“IBB’s return to Aso Rock will be a disaster for Nigeria.” He said.
The forum held meetings with the families of some departed Nigerians such as the leader of the botched April 22, 1990 coup, Gideon Orka; Mr. Ben Ekele; late legal luminary Gani Fawehinmi; and Dele Giwa, among others, during the campaign. Orka led the coup that tried to sack Babangida’s military government.
The entry of Babangida into the presidential race this time around did not come as a surprise to many as the former military ruler had on two occasions, 2003 and 2007 eyed the topmost position only to step down in the last minutes. But now, opinions across the country suggest that Babangida got the final impetus from the support of the United States government which had allegedly sent a delegation to him on the presidential project.
Local media had reported that the recent visit of a strong US delegation to Nigeria, comprising Jonnie Carson, the country’s assistant secretary of state for African Affairs and Robin Sanders, its ambassador to Nigeria is part of the plan to draft Babangida to the 2011 race.
Quoting an unnamed source, Nigeria’s Daily Sun newspaper reported that the US has followed the political situation in the country and has come to the conclusion that Nigeria needs a president who would restore confidence and leadership. It said that many people have been considered.
According to the Sun report, Babangida eventually got endorsement after people like Mr. George Bush Snr, who was president in US when Babangida was military president in Nigeria put in words. “The Bush Snr. support, it was gathered, informed why immediate past US president, George W. Bush, wanted to meet with Babangida when he visited Nigeria for the ThisDay awards,” the Sun stated.
This surely is a big gamble given the fact that the candidature of Babangida, allegedly being backed by the United States, is not jelling well with the Nigerian populace. Observers have also opined that probably Babandgida is only using a trial balloon to test his acceptability. With an ailing president Yar’Adua that has not been seen for months and the acting president Goodluck Jonathan surreptitiously mulling a shot at the presidency, the ruling PDP foreclosing fielding any candidate from the south, the next few months will determine how realizable IBB’s ambition in the face of growing opposition against him.