Babangida’s Presidential Blessings: The Joke is on the Aspirants
Nigeria is a funny country where values and virtues are mere official sermons. Honesty and transparency are regularly touted as cardinal principles but never practiced. They have become jaded clichés that no longer make meaning to the ordinary man on the street. Yes, retired General Ibrahim Babangida will not fade in the blurred ink of politics nor does he intend to fizzle out in the dying flicker of his spent political era; all things being equal, Babangida intends to be in our faces for the long haul, masterminding theatrics and lending his voice to the affray of familiar presidential candidates. Today, Babangida, an elder statesman no doubt, is at it again, he has been given his ‘blessings’ to all the politicians aspiring to be the next president come 2019. Funnily enough, IBB as he is fondly called, does not have a preferred candidate, he is just ‘blessing’ as if his ‘blessings’ would make any impact. Recently, the campaign train of Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, stopped by to see IBB. The governor, who is seeking the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 election, solicited the support of the elder statesman and Babaginda gave Tambuwal his blessings. Senator David Mark, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Atiku Abubabar, Alhaji Taminu Turaki, Ahmed Makarfi, and Sule Lamido have visited IBB for his ‘almighty blessings’ to become the next president.