Although his chances of becoming president (Babangida simply does not deserve any public position) in 2007 is becoming murky with his sudden withdrawal as PDP presidential candidate, one should not write him off. He can still contest under another platform. But getting PDP form and then withdrawing is part victory for those of us who have intense dislikness for this Nigerian.

  A popular Nigerian weekly magazine has already blowing its own trumpet for what it termed accurate prediction regarding Babangida’s political downfall. Ibrahim as we know is a quintessential of all what is wrong with Nigeria, and we should not relent on our efforts until he goes to where he belongs – the depths of the pit.

  However, if this man were a man of virtue, I would have in joyous waited to see how he's going to humiliate the crops of Nigerian intellectuals – again. I’d like to see a fight between a bravado instinct, a street brain intellect against that of academic, progressive smartness. The issue might be of a mind in focus but overambitious and ruthless against that of minds in satire, ambitious but indistinct.

 And he has since paid a courtsey visit to Musa Yar’Adua, PDP presidential flag bearer in 2007. Babangida did the same thing in 1999 when he paid the Ota farmer such visit. We now know the consequence of the event. I believe this man is still on to something. In fact, I always have a collapsed lung whenever he pays such an aura of visit. For me it’s not over until it’s over.  

 How is it possible for one man to keep playing on the intelligent of a people, and doing it with impunity? How did Babangida manage to carry eminent people like sage Awo, Tai Solarin who is my main man, Wole Soyinka and others with him for a while? Of course Babangida is a coward, shallow minded but cunning. And it was Nigerian media and our reputable elders who mistakenly elevate him to a position he deserves not – they named him IBB genius.

  Before I go in perspective, I’d like to remind or warn you that Babangida is here for a revenge. The man is angry with Nigerians. He knows Nigerians hate him. He knows that only imbecile and crawlers love him. This aspect of Nigerians was revealed to him during Orkar’s coup in which the nation rejoiced at the news that Babangida might have been killed. He must have understood the citizens’  hatred for him when they became sad after the success of counter-coup that ressurrected him. His anger intensified when Nigerians forced him to leave office in 1993. 

  PRONACO on the other hand, is one of the least organised group in Nigeria today. This is quite unfortunate because it supposed to be a formidable opposition, while others have long dead. Soyinka and co belong to this group of progressive minds. One cannot doubt the group's primary aim of existence: it considers itself the vanguard of the masses. Members are well-read, intellectual to the core with beam light of genuine intentions. It seems however, that this group has been fighting half-won battle all its life.

  The activities of this group is simply a chase which is more thrilling than holding on to the struggling catch. The chase is when they fought Babangida until he abdicated the throne. Holding on to the struggle catch is the inability to actually tame Babangida who is now mocking them by staging a come back.

Their off and on activism neatly portrays them as a great satirist who would not like society to be perfect but pretend to have genuine indignation with all the pettiness and wrong of life. It seems to me that, many of them find an artistic pleasure in the portrayal of the vices which they attack. They bark quite all right in resemblance to that popular toothless dog, a plague which has tainted the rest of the nation.

PRONACO, like the evil it's fighting, has failed to deliver on its promise. The group has allowed itself to be defeated many times by the military oligarchy. The group can shout, fight but has been unable to win most of the battles. Obvious example is the Sovereign National Conference (SNC). They weeded our fears with their own courage in order to battle for our freedom. Nigerian put their hope on the only organisation ready to confront each lunatic. Nigerians thought the time had come for liberation…but here we are.

And all of a sudden PRONACO mellow down. If the members were not fighting over ideology, they would fight over other things like leadership. The failure of these intellectuals in the area of organisation is a further testimony that theoretical application is not practical implementation. Babangida knows this and he is ready to capitalise on it. 

Today what is the aftermath of the Sovereign National conference chaired by Anthony Enahoro? These people have succeeded only in chasing, while the much needed holding on to the struggle catch remains elusive. Why did they accept Babangida's interim government? Why did they allow Sani Abacha to even stay a day in Aso Rock? Why did they accept Abdusalam Abubakar, Babangida's boy? Why did they not stand their ground on Abiola? I would not be surprised if Babangida cajole them one more time.

Well, "himself" has said that he'd name "powerful" Yoruba people behind the annulment of 1993 election adjudged free and fair. Let him go ahead with such damning revelation but no pinkmailing please. Let him open a can of worms. And he should do it quick. But I won’t accept names like Bola Ige, Olu Falae, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Mama Awolowo, Wole Awolowo, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Wole Soyinka etc. 

Kekere l’ati petan iroko, ti o ba d’agba tan, apa ko nii ka. Babangida has become iroko tree which if care is not taken, no one can cut him down – unless with a very sharp saw. The sharp saw supposed to be the group I have been speaking about. Does this group have the energy to even hold the saw to cut iroko? Perhaps eminent Nigerians should crawl to Aso Rock, and seriously warn the incumbent president against handling over to Babangida. Hum, our faith is still in the hands of Obasanjo. When is Nigeria going to be free from Obasanjo’s hegemony?  

Ironically, those who are in opposition to Babangida’s presidency are the ones who actually bred him. Didn’t some of them serve under his reign? Didn’t they accept him when he usurped power? Those who bred Babangida should know how to curtail him. I have no doubt that, it is going to be a tough fight.

Wole Soyinka and co should know they are dealing with a Machiavellian thinker. I recommend that the group spend more time in the library to critically study Babangida’s hero, Machiavelli (1469-1527). They should tackle him as when they dealt with Sani Abacha. But it must be the last battle and must be totally won. They should know that Babangida is not mocking unknown Nigerian like me, for the man has repeatedly said he didn’t like talking issues with those below him.

Babangida’s declaration to contest presidential election in 2007 is a symbol of egoism, which connotes a big slap on the group’s face. The man is also using satire to convey a serious message: IBB’s way is that of God whilst that of Anthony Enahoro, Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi, Balarabe Musa and co is evil. This man is simply mocking Nigerian intellectuals. He knows them like his palm. I suspect he doesn’t even respect them with the exception of Fawehinmi. Babangida maybe telling them indirectly that his tiny street brain is working consciously better than the intellectual’s large house brain.

He had defeated them once with his winning "step aside" tactics. While PRONACO got drunk over the success of forcing IBB to leave the throne, the guy engaged in deep thought. He fasted for forty days and forty nights; had conversation with Allah on how he’d ridicule his enemies 14 years later. PRONACO’s lack of remarkable foresight prevented it to see that Babangida’s step aside in 1993 was actually a metaphor for Babangida 2007.

Alhough Babangida’s jokes and antics were a transparent lie, Wole Soyinka and co failed to surpress a reckless and mad ambition of a man who supposed to have been executed like his bosom friend, Maman Vatsa; or tied to a drum like Oyenusi, the infamous armed robber.

There is nothing special about Babangida other than his overambition and avarice. There is always a glint of greed in his eyes. Even when you thought he had quit, he came up with another ruthless exploitation term – step aside. The man then installed crippled Shonekan and left behind the one who would rule Nigeria with tempestous brutality. When Abacha died, he brought one of his boys, Abdusalam Abubakar, to the throne. Then he made pilgrimage to Owu for espirit de corps chat with the only farmer in Nigeria.

Babangida financed Obasanjo’s presidency in 1999 as a test case for Babangida 2007. He knew that if ex-soldier like Obasanjo was not opposed by the people, then he too had the chance to bounce back. He solely dragged Obasanjo to Aso Rock not because he loved or respected him. He did it in order to expose the chicken farmer as Father of all hypocrites. Remember OBJ was a leading critic of Babangida in those days.

The rest is now history...But PRONACO must get its act together, for it seems it’s the only fearless opposition despite the shortcomings.   

2007@    

mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 03.01.2007 16:37