OWNERS OF NIGERIA -PART 4

When Babangida annulled the Presidential primaries of SDP & NRC, it angered Yar'Adua and some other politicians; he also banned them from contesting. MKO Abiola did not see anything wrong in the annulment. As it was an opportunity for him to contest. Earlier, his late wife Simbiat had kicked against the idea of MKO going into politics. But after her death in late 1992, MKO saw the opportunity to fulfill his life ambition, of having both economic and political power. He joined SDP and no sooner, like Obasanjo did in PDP launched his campaign for Presidency "Hope 93," then I called it "Hopeless 93."

This did not receive the blessing of his former business partner, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Baba Gana Kingibe, once the National Chairman of SDP also indicated interest in presidency; this drew the ire of Yar'Adua more than MKO's. Yar"Adua, Abiola, Bamanga Tukur and Raymond Dopeksi were partners in African Ocean Lines and multi-million Dollar shipping business. Tukur and Dopeksi are experienced hands in marine while Yar'Adua a lucky guy who retired as Major-General at the age of 36, and Abiola contributed money. The business collapsed, and there was a rift between Abiola and Yar'Adua, but they still have Habib Bank. I save the rest on MKO till when I get there.

Eventually, we had the Presidential election on 12 June, 1993. It was between Tofa and Abiola. Tofa and Sylvester Ugoh, his running did not have voters card, as a result they didn't vote on the election date. After IBB had shifted dates from 1990 to 1993. In all, IBB spent 50 Billion Naira on a transition to no where.

There was an unwritten agreement between Babangida and Abacha that the former will hand over power to the latter by 1990, this didn't work out and the late Abacha didn't like it. There were moves to stop the June 12 election. Arthur Nzeribe went to court, got an injunction to stop the election through his Association for Better Nigeria (ABN). Professor Omo Omoruyi in many of his press interviews also mentioned a meeting with Babangida and Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the NEC Chairman, where the idea of suspending the election came up. Babangida was strongly advised against it.

Why would Babangida, the man with great vision and who meant well for Nigeria, want to postpone the election? Babangida or any of his sponsored or unsolicited spokespersons should tell us.

Nigerians voted and SDP had 14 million votes. Suddenly we had the news that the announcement of the election result has been suspended and that the election has been annulled. The release was on a plain sheet of paper without signature.

But what happened then was that some Nigerians knew before the annulment that the election would be annulled and that there would be an interim government. General Olusegun Obasanjo, late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, and Chief Tony Anenih-the then National Chairman of SDP- knew about the annulment. While this was on, Sani Abacha was scheming too. Abacha's scheming and how Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya was used as a pun would be discussed when we get to Abacha.

In 2000 or thereabout, some Nigerians organized a conference in Jos, Plateau State. The organizers of this conference were Babangida's beneficiaries, those IBB raised from nobody to somebody in the world of looting and misgovern ace. We have his former Foreign Affairs Minister, former Apostle of SAP, former District Officers (Military Governors) and many other contractors without offices in attendance. Their agenda was to take over power. This in actual fact created panic in Aso Rock.

Then Obasanjo and Babangida were having some misunderstanding on someone. Who? Turaki Adamawa, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. I am not going to talk about why now, but I will talk about the moves IBB made and the outcome of the Jos conference. Was the move to impeach Obasanjo part of it? No. who wanted Obasanjo removed? Later.

After the coup that removed Chief Sunday Awoniyi, Bamanga Tukur, Chief Ume Ezeoke, late Harry Marshal, Emmanuel Ibeshi, and Gbenga Olawepo from PDP, there were moves to form political associations to fight PDP. National Frontier was formed by Chief Awoniyi and other members expelled from PDP, but it did include Ibeshi, Olawepo and Marshal. National Frontier took its name from Arewa Frontier, the Youth wing of Arewa. Babangida's guys too came up about two associations. But the Awoniyi group sounded more serious and could command more respect than the IBB's association. Though Babangida denied involvement, but one of his alter egos, Chief Alex Akinyele, the Lobosin of Ondoland, came on AIT to link IBB with it. He said he joined because of IBB; this didn't go down well with IBB.

Their plan was to form many associations, make one vocal and distance the rest from IBB. UNDP became very vocal, was very critical of Obasanjo's government. Before this, IBB's group attempted an alliance with National Frontier, but it did not work out. And Kenny Martins was used to divide National Frontier (NF). NF was divided and Awoniyi withdrew. That was a very good strategy to get rid of potential threats. After the exit of Awoniyi, they took over NF and fused it to UNDP. Ahkiomu led another group to APP and they took over APP, changed it to ANPP. This was revealed by one of IBB's ally in Ibadan. According to him, they will create a decoy for Obasanjo. NDP is another IBB association. They had attempted to use the garrulous Pastor Chris Okotie as a south west presidential candidate. Okotie had gathered journalists in his church for support and to block negative publicity in the media. While it lasted, he was receiving briefing from Minna. He was able to pocket a number of media editors. But he was dropped after some considerations. The concert at the National stadium was sponsored from Minna, they also promised him that his famous broadcast on AIT would be translated into Arabic and Hausa and aired in the North. He was to go to Kano for another show when the drum beat changed. He did not know until the night of the long knife at the International Conference center Abuja, when he lost to Ike Nwachukwu.

But between the ends of 2001 to early 2002, Mr. Fix-it (Anenih) mediated between IBB and his former oga. Atiku got wind of Anenih's visit to Minna, he was angry and PDM was split into two, Yar'adua's Political machinery. Who master-minded the Obasanjo declaration of April 26 2002? Why was Atiku absent? Why did Obasanjo first declare on a presidential chat of the April 26 2002 night on FRCN that his running mate would be known after the PDP primaries and three days later, through Tunji Oseni, his Special Adviser on Media Affairs, announced Atiku as his running mate? Many questions begging for answers. All coming under Atiku.

Foot note:

While it is not in my character to respond to some side talks, because it amounts to waste of time and unnecessary distraction, I think it is good to set the record straight.

This is not an attempt to attack any individual but to remind ourselves of the damage these people have done to us, and why they don't deserve to be where they are today. To be rich in Nigeria today, you cut corners. Yes, no civil servant can afford to own property, to buy tokunbo cars; you need cash, minimum of 300,000 naira. Where can an average Nigerian get this? Many of those who live abroad forget that what they enjoy our people back home don't. If the government is good, why do our boys abandoned their university education in pursuit of visa abroad? Why do we have our Professors, Medical Practioners, lawyers, Engineers and other professionals scattered in Europe and America?

Babangida meant well and he had vision. Yes. He meant well for himself, and had vision for himself. He created Directorate of Road and Rural Infrastructure, Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance, Peoples' Bank. Where did all these end? They were avenues of stealing. Conduit pipes for looting. We have also been making mistakes judging the success of some governments as good because of the involvement of some personalities. Most of these personalities, we found to be inconsistent. The say one thing today and do another tomorrow. That late Tai Solarin served in Peoples Bank does not give Babangida's government credence. He brought the likes of Solarin in to humiliate them, which he did. Tai Solarin was appointed chairman of People's Bank, without fund to run the bank and with no power. I remember that Tai Solarin after quitting tendered apology. He admitted he made a mistake. Tai Solarin who once vowed never to wear Agbada, who once said that it is only a lazy man that wears agbada, wore it as Chairman of Peoples Bank.

What was the state of our economy before August 1985 and from 1985 to 1993?

Heaven, they say, help those who help themselves.

Continues........