IBB and the lessons of history
By Abdu Abdullah
LESSONS of history are as natural as spring water. They come into existence through natural processes embedded within the boundaries of daily events. At times, the lessons are transparent that even the poorest in intelligence can comprehend them. Sometimes, they are opaque that it takes rigorous intellectual exercises to expose them.
An indepth anaysis of IBB’s psychological constituency reveals his age-long ambition of steering the political ship of the nation. It was a history when he booted General Muhammadu Buhari out of the exalted office via a palace coup. He also recorded a historical mark when he cornered power for eight years in the midst of political upheavals. He shall remain in the precious book of history that he graduated into a famous power broker unmatched in the country’s political evolution. Moreover, it is to the credit of IBB’s dribbling style that he has gained a landslide victory through the raising of IBB old an new boys. The Shagaya’s, Gwadabes, Dangiwas, etc shall remain in the pages of IBB’s political history.
Through a gradually historical process, “the lonely long distance runner” as depicted by the News magazine, descended heavily on the socio-political and economic domain of Nigerians with an explosive approach that rendered many people pessimistic. It was another historical event when he mobilized has power institution to deeply penetrate every segment of the social stratification each of which struggled hard to dodge the military presidents’ hammer of socio-political and economic horrors but to no avail.
Interestingly, his consolidated power attained its operative climax with his power dividends growing conventionally to firmly stand as the unchallenged socio-economic and political values of his “maradonic” era. Do you still recall the ordeals that some prominent Nigerians went through in the hands of security agents when they insisted on providing an alternative to SAP? How can you forget those sentimentally rich letters written by prince Tony. Momoh to conquer us through a pshychological war so that IBB’s power should grow bigger than the nation?
By and large the agency of ideological viewpoint did not work to support IBB with a sense of ideological belonging. His economic programmes and political reforms went bananas and cast a spell of doom for the masses whose weakness was never recognized by IBB’s ideological inconsistency. In defiance of developmental agitation and relevance he observed power protocols to elongate his stay in office and as such the velocity of his power temperament was as quick as lightening. Hence heterogenous citizens developed in a full scale. It was SAP versus the survival of Nigerians, It was brain drain against university education. There was June 12 at a loggerheads with disintegration. Illegitimacy as a child of corruption grew up to dominate our social, economic and political life. The poor become poorer that they could hardly smile. The rich lived in a world where their hopes were kept alive. Day by day sadness replaced happiness, optimism gave way for pessimism. Darkness fell across the land and the entire journey was long, rough, boring for an unknown destination.
Most people were of the strong opinion that when IBB carved out power, it was out of extreme ambition. It was drawn from the spirit of self-complacency and also developed from the dictates of self-aggrandizement. As such he parted ways with development realities which must be recognized within a visionary and ideological spectrum. This point of departure proved as the source from which the political Maradonna couriered the theory of a little bit to the right and a little bit to the left. That imbalanced ideology did not go down well with the prevailing multifaceted crises rocking the nation. Nigeria then needed a balanced and well defined ideology to save it from political embarrassment. It was time for practical as well as progressive reactions that would condemn to death the agents of economic deprivation. An opportunity came when IBB would strike to put smiles on our faces, to renew our hopes and to cautiously work within the framework of a neat ideology that would positively alter the course of events for a better Nigeria, a stronger nation where love, happiness, unity, patriotism, peace must be given a chance to form our civilization.
It is no longer news that General Ibrahim Babangida has been edged out of the political race to Aso Rock in the forthcoming general elections by the same person he mobilized his resources to become our president. Infact, most Nigerians unanimously believed that considering the political strength of IBB in breaking the barriers of political mystery in the country for two decades, he would not suffer a political defeat. But it has come and gone. The memory of that political lost must still be fresh in the minds of those who love IBB better than Nigeria. For them IBB is greater than our beloved country that they will not hesitate to promote his image for their own personal gains. Such people are a political nuisance and are not willing to breakaway from tradition to lialise with the architects of a new Nigeria.
What is news however is the lessons to be derived from the political history of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. As a coup plotter who masterminded the fall of General Muhammadu Buhari, it is very likely that the latter will regain the same power the former seized from him through the electoral process coming up next April. And at a time when the late General Shehu Musa Yaradua and Alhaji Adamu Ciroma were confident of contesting presidential election under the defunct SDP and NRC, IBB was quick to show them a red card. And that was the end of it all. Then came the mother of all political crises alias June 12 innovated by the Babangida administration. Having failed to obtain PDP’s presidential ticket, IBB has been paid with the same political coin he used to dislodge the political fortunes of Yar’adua, Ciroma and Abiola.

ABDULLAHI contributed this piece from Galadanci Quarters, Ringim, Jigawa state.