2011: IBB HAS THE RIGHT TO CONTEST
2011: IBB HAS THE RIGHT TO CONTEST
If General Babangida wants to contest the 2011 general elections, let him feel free to do so; it is his constitutional right, which no one can take away, even
with the array of criticisms that currently trail his contemplation to contest
the said election. IBB should never be deterred by those who continually shout
down anyone seen discussing the IBB-for-President-in-2011 topic. The success
or otherwise of the General at the polls next year will not depend on what some
few individuals say or do not say against him; it will depend more on the views
of the Nigerian electorate as will be expressed through the ballot box. If the
Nigerian electorate feel that Babangida is the man for the job, so will it be,
irrespective of the views of the school of thought which insists that Babangida
has no right to want to rule Nigeria again, after all is alleged evil deeds while in
office as Nigerian Military President between 1985 and 1993. While one does not
begrudge this school of thought its opinion, it is important to bear one
thing in mind, namely that even though no sin is so light that it may be
overlooked, yet no sin is so heavy that
it may not be repented of.
Therefore, no matter how big, old, engrained, known, or unchangeable an
offence might be, it can still be sincerely repented of, and healed. A word
from the Christian Scriptures may help to emphasis what I mean the more: If My
people who are called by My name will humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin and heal their land.—II Chronicles 7:14. Again, God said: I have
swept away your transgressions like a cloud-mass, and your sins like a cloud.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. –Isaiah 44:22. If God Almighty can
forgive and forget, who are we, mere mortals, to insist on taking our pound of
flesh even form or against a repented sinner (that is, if IBB is a sinner or has repented)?
These few Nigerians who try and actually do make a mountain out of
General IBB`s ambition to come back as Nigeria`s civilian President come 2011 should
pause a little and do a thorough reflection; it is possible that this same
Babangida, whom they shout now, “ crucify him, crucify him,” may turn out, if
enthroned President, to be the best leader this country has ever had. The
question is, is it not possible that this man genuinely nurses his desire to be
given an opportunity to right the wrongs of the past (if any)? Is it not
reasonable to suppose that the best way to keep the fish safe is to entrust it
in the care of the rat? Do we not ponder, even a little, on the possibility
that, given this opportunity, this retired General may in the process of working
so hard to prove his detractors wrong, end up surpassing the reasonable man`s expectations? Finally, on the premise that the devil we know is far preferable to the angel we
yet know not. Let`s give IBB a chance to try his luck. Let him test his
popularity. He has the right., as every other qualified Nigerian. Let the Nigerian voters, and not just a few
individuals, be the ultimate decider of his fate. God bless Nigeria? -- Sylvester Udemezue
(08021365545, mrudems@yahoo.com)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by temi on
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IBB he has the right to contest for the presidency , but the decision lies in the hand of the voters with good electoral body and policing to reduce rigging to minimal level and give Nigerians the right leader.
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Permalink Reply by Ogba on
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I really don't understand what this man is coming back to do.If anyone has a rational explanation.Please in form me.
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Permalink Reply by Tope Adeyinka on
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Only sycophants will be on the side of IBB to come back and terrorise Nigeria again. We should notice that the writer of this post clearly put his email address and phone number just to let IBB know that he is ready to be a member of his campaign team. Thats our problem in Nigeria, individual interest above everybody's interest. If you say no sin is too much to be forgiven, please put yourself in the place of Dele Giwa's family, Abiola's family (not the selfish ones among them), and of course remember Mamman Vatsa's family and then please shut up because you dont know what you are talking about.
Your full name, your phone number and email address inviting IBB to call you is a sign that you are just a scoundrel who should not be commenting in public interest. Your objectivity is heavily tainted that you should be roundly condemned. You are so disgusting. Have you even asked yourself why army generals will not leave us alone even after stealing all these billions? Have you asked yourself why OBJ who refused to let IBB contest in 2007, obviously because of his own Third Term Agenda is now supporting IBB to contest? Why are some Nigerians easily fooled by these criminals, who continue to recycle themselves back to power? I advise you to change and support www.againstbabangida.com
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Permalink Reply by Sylvester C. Udemezue on
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Dear Mr Tope Adeyinka, your reply to my humble opinion is so full of personal verbal attacks, having no relationship with the real issue, one begins to wonder whether there has been a quarrel between us before now. For your information, my dear friend, my full names, phone number and email appear in all my write ups, not only this, and the essence is to show you are not a ghost writer. If you have been reading my articles, you would have realized my positions are always based on objective premises. I think, with due respect, sir, people like you who are only interested in attacking personalities and calling names, rather than facing the real issues, should hardly be allowed any opportunity of being in public discourse. By attacking me personally and pouring venom at me, are you trying to prove that I am no longer entitled to my personal opinion? Or did you set out to intimidate me or malign my person? I think you have only adopted Elbert Hubbard`s ironical counsel: “If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.” These you can never achieve. I will not argue with you, but merely restate my position, for, to argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. Let me just repeat myself, in case you did not get me right: IBB, like every other Nigerian, is fully entitled to contest for the Presidency. If he is bad, of course I have not said he is an angel, let the Nigerian electorate vote him out, and choose whomsoever they prefer. Enough of all these attacks against individuals, rather than on issues. Let me now take out time to respond objectively to some of your fallacious postulations. First, the death of Dele Giwa was a painful blow to freedom of the Press in Nigeria --- may his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. I am one of the people insisting that his real killers should be fished out and made to face the wrath of the law. But to say on the pages of newspapers that IBB was responsible for Dele Giwa`s death amounts only to condemning the man before he is tried and his guilt (if any) determined and established before a competent court. The best thing to do, if you believe IBB had a hand in Dele Giwa`s death, is to consult your lawyer so he can set the ball in motion for the prosecution of IBB; thank God, he has no immunity now, and no one is above the law. That`s the only option you have; if you reject that option, then you have no other than to keep your peace --- criminal cases are not tried, and guilt established, on the pages of newspapers, or in your parlour. By section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, an accused person stands innocent unless and until his guilt is established before a court of law. Besides, Nigeria operates the accusatorial criminal justice system, which demands that every person accused of a criminal offence be held as innocent until the contrary is proved before a competent court. In the case of Chief MKO Abiola, it is unfortunate that he died the way he did, after presumably winning an election so far adjudged as the freest and fairest in Nigeria (note: IBB has not been indicted in connection with his death, except you have already tried and convicted him in your personal court). This is the point I am making, if Nigerians are angry with IBB over the annulment of June 12 Presidential election, or indeed over any other thing, let them say so in a general election, by rejecting IBB. Until then, let IBB be allowed to exercise his constitutional right to vote or be voted for. No one, even you, can take that away from him. At this juncture, let me advice that I do not know IBB, neither do I campaign for or against him. I am not a politician. But I am entitled to air my views any time, any day, irrespective of the unwarranted, childish personal vituperation of people like you. But we must always call a spade a spade, no matter whose ox is gored. I talk from the point of view of the law; the beauty of democracy, which is what its founding fathers, led by Abraham Lincoln, had envisaged, is (as Anna Garlin Spencer put it) “its assurance that every human being should so respect himself and should be so respected in his own personality that he should have opportunity equal to that of every other human being to show what he was meant to become.” As long as the differences and diversities of mankind exist, democracy must allow for compromise, for accommodation, and for the recognition of differences. Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity. Democracy means not "I am as good as you are" but "You are as good as I am." I will not be dragged into the case of Mamman Vasta who unfortunately was executed after being convicted by a Court martial over alleged involvement in a military coup, because I do not know the basis for his conviction and the evidence available to the military court at that time. I better allow the sleeping dog to lie. All I will say in conclusion is that, though, as George Santayana said, “those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” yet , the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. Further, forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future. In the final analysis, we are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. I leave you here, my dear friend, but not until I have advised that you learn how not to argue; abuse and calling of names never win you anything. You need to be tutored on the need to tolerate dissent in opinion; everyone cannot agree with your position. Besides, with due respect, you have even given no credible reason to convince or win any reasonable support for your views ----- Sylvester Udemezue (08021365545, mrudems@yahoo.com)
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Dear Mr Tope Adeyinka, your reply to my humble opinion is so full of personal verbal attacks, having no relationship with the real issue, one begins to wonder whether there has been a quarrel between us before now. For your information, my dear friend, my full names, phone number and email appear in all my write ups, not only this, and the essence is to show you are not a ghost writer. If you have been reading my articles, you would have realized my positions are always based on objective premises. I think, with due respect, sir, people like you who are only interested in attacking personalities and calling names, rather than facing the real issues, should hardly be allowed any opportunity of being in public discourse. By attacking me personally and pouring venom at me, are you trying to prove that I am no longer entitled to my personal opinion? Or did you set out to intimidate me or malign my person? I think you have only adopted Elbert Hubbard`s ironical counsel: “If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost; you can still call him vile names.” These you can never achieve. I will not argue with you, but merely restate my position, for, to argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. Let me just repeat myself, in case you did not get me right: IBB, like every other Nigerian, is fully entitled to contest for the Presidency. If he is bad, of course I have not said he is an angel, let the Nigerian electorate vote him out, and choose whomsoever they prefer. Enough of all these attacks against individuals, rather than on issues. Let me now take out time to respond objectively to some of your fallacious postulations. First, the death of Dele Giwa was a painful blow to freedom of the Press in Nigeria --- may his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. I am one of the people insisting that his real killers should be fished out and made to face the wrath of the law. But to say on the pages of newspapers that IBB was responsible for Dele Giwa`s death amounts only to condemning the man before he is tried and his guilt (if any) determined and established before a competent court. The best thing to do, if you believe IBB had a hand in Dele Giwa`s death, is to consult your lawyer so he can set the ball in motion for the prosecution of IBB; thank God, he has no immunity now, and no one is above the law. That`s the only option you have; if you reject that option, then you have no other than to keep your peace --- criminal cases are not tried, and guilt established, on the pages of newspapers, or in your parlour. By section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, an accused person stands innocent unless and until his guilt is established before a court of law. Besides, Nigeria operates the accusatorial criminal justice system, which demands that every person accused of a criminal offence be held as innocent until the contrary is proved before a competent court. In the case of Chief MKO Abiola, it is unfortunate that he died the way he did, after presumably winning an election so far adjudged as the freest and fairest in Nigeria (note: IBB has not been indicted in connection with his death, except you have already tried and convicted him in your personal court). This is the point I am making, if Nigerians are angry with IBB over the annulment of June 12 Presidential election, or indeed over any other thing, let them say so in a general election, by rejecting IBB. Until then, let IBB be allowed to exercise his constitutional right to vote or be voted for. No one, even you, can take that away from him. At this juncture, let me advice that I do not know IBB, neither do I campaign for or against him. I am not a politician. But I am entitled to air my views any time, any day, irrespective of the unwarranted, childish personal vituperation of people like you. But we must always call a spade a spade, no matter whose ox is gored. I talk from the point of view of the law; the beauty of democracy, which is what its founding fathers, led by Abraham Lincoln, had envisaged, is (as Anna Garlin Spencer put it) “its assurance that every human being should so respect himself and should be so respected in his own personality that he should have opportunity equal to that of every other human being to show what he was meant to become.” As long as the differences and diversities of mankind exist, democracy must allow for compromise, for accommodation, and for the recognition of differences. Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees equality of opportunity. Democracy means not "I am as good as you are" but "You are as good as I am." I will not be dragged into the case of Mamman Vasta who unfortunately was executed after being convicted by a Court martial over alleged involvement in a military coup, because I do not know the basis for his conviction and the evidence available to the military court at that time. I better allow the sleeping dog to lie. All I will say in conclusion is that, though, as George Santayana said, “those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” yet , the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. Further, forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future. In the final analysis, we are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. I leave you here, my dear friend, but not until I have advised that you learn how not to argue; abuse and calling of names never win you anything. You need to be tutored on the need to tolerate dissent in opinion; everyone cannot agree with your position. Besides, with due respect, you have even given no credible reason to convince or win any reasonable support for your views ----- Sylvester Udemezue (08021365545, mrudems@yahoo.com)
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Permalink Reply by popsy johnson on
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The government cannot give anything to anyone that they have not first 'taken' from someone else.
Everyone who voted for IBB, or planning to vote for socialism again, okay with that? Thought so. You filthy dung beetle's! WHO care for his comming for 2011 OR contesting as the president in the country. A aman who look down in his country as the formal president was call by oputal panel september, 15th to defend his past presidential agenda and refusal to hornour their proposal to appear b/4 the nation and claiming rigth above the constitution. ........
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Permalink Reply by Foluso Akoni on
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This Sylvester Udemezue or what do you call your filthy name? People like you who scramble for leftovers from IBB's table will fight to restore this mega-thief to power. Everything about you screams FAKE as you continue to misquote and mis-paraphrase people to show off your ignorance of literature, western politics and history. You want to defend IBB against Dele Giwa's murder because he was never brought to justice? who will bring him to jusitce? all the other thieves that ruled after him? His surrogate, the mad man Abacha? or the unreliable, treacherous OBJ? or Mr Go-Slow YarAdua who cant even remember his own name right now? You suck Mr Udemezue. You said voters should be allowed to decide if IBB should come back..when was the last time Nigerians were freely allowed to decide who rule them but by imposition of thieves through fake elections, and imposition of thugs through coups, you should check your mental capacity to think.
For even having the shameless pride to parade your email address, phone number and even picture shows how much of a lowlife you are seeking cheap contracts and frienship from IBB and his cohorts. Fools like you make Nigerians find it difficult to have a united voice against the criminals that have continued to recycle themselves back to power despite all their apparent robberies of the national treasury. You should be ashamed to be a Nigerian for even showing your face online but wait, I doubt if that was your real picture.
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MR. AKONI, YOU ARE EITHER TOTALLY IGNORANT OF THE DIRECTION OF MY COMMENTS OR YOU ARE TRANSFERRING YOU HATRED FOR IBB TO MY PERSON; I DO NOT SUPPORT NOR OPPOSE IBB`S CANDIDACY. I AM NOT A POLITICIAN. BUT PLEASE, NOTE THAT I STAND SOLIDLY BEHIND MY COMMENTS. MY REPLY TO YOU IS TO ADVISE YOU TO READ OVER MY COMMENTS AGAIN. YOUR NOISE-MAKING MAKES NO SENSE. YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS: IF YOU BELIEVE IBB SHOULD FACE THE LAW FOR ANY ALLEGED EVIL DEEDS BY HIM, INITIATE THE LEGAL PROCESS OF BRINGING HIM TO BOOK RIGHT AWAY. SECOND, IF YOU THINK IBB SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RULE AGAIN, PUT YOUR DEMOCRATIC MACHINERY IN MOTION TO ENSURE HE IS VOTED OUT. YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTION, FOR UNLESS HE WITHDRAWS VOLUNTARILY, NO ONE CAN DENY HIM HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO CONTEST, WHICH IS ALL I HAVE SAID IN MY COMMENTS. YOUR NOISE-MAKING IS OF NO MOMENT HERE. YOU HAVE RAISED NO ISSUES IN YOUR ARGUMENT (WORTHY OF MY REPLY) OTHER CALLING NAMES. I DO NOT INSULT; I DO NOT CALL NAMES. AND I AM NOT SURPRISED YOU INSULT ME. IF YOU CAN INSULT EVERY PERSON THAT HAS RULED THIS COUNTRY TILL DATE, INCLUDING A SICK MAN (YAR`ADUA),WHY SHOULD I BOTHER IF YOU INSULT A MEMBER OF THE MASSES SUCH AS I AM. I STILL STAND BY MY POSITION. PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO HAVE TURNED VANGUARD ONLINE COMMUNITY FORUM INTO AN AVENUE FOR ABUSING EVERY PERSON YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH HIS OR HER OPINION, RATHER THAN A PLATFORM FOR HEALTHY CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS, SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED, IF NOT FOR THE MAGNANIMITY OF THE VANGUARD MEDIA LTD, ANY SPACE HERE. THANKS. Sylvester Udemezue (08021365545, mrudems@yahoo.com)
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MR. EZUMEZU, YOU ARE EITHER TOTALLY IGNORANT OF THE DIRECTION OF MY COMMENTS OR YOU ARE TRANSFERRING YOU HATRED FOR IBB TO MY PERSON; I DO NOT SUPPORT NOR OPPOSE IBB`S CANDIDACY. I AM NOT A POLITICIAN. BUT PLEASE, NOTE THAT I STAND SOLIDLY BEHIND MY COMMENTS. MY REPLY TO YOU IS TO ADVISE YOU TO READ OVER MY COMMENTS AGAIN. YOUR NOISE-MAKING MAKES NO SENSE. YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS: IF YOU BELIEVE IBB SHOULD FACE THE LAW FOR ANY ALLEGED EVIL DEEDS BY HIM, INITIATE THE LEGAL PROCESS OF BRINGING HIM TO BOOK RIGHT AWAY. SECOND, IF YOU THINK IBB SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RULE AGAIN, PUT YOUR DEMOCRATIC MACHINERY IN MOTION TO ENSURE HE IS VOTED OUT. YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTION, FOR UNLESS HE WITHDRAWS VOLUNTARILY, NO ONE CAN DENY HIM HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO CONTEST, WHICH IS ALL I HAVE SAID IN MY COMMENTS. YOUR NOISE-MAKING IS OF NO MOMENT HERE. YOU HAVE RAISED NO ISSUES IN YOUR ARGUMENT (WORTHY OF MY REPLY) OTHER CALLING NAMES. I DO NOT INSULT; I DO NOT CALL NAMES. AND I AM NOT SURPRISED YOU INSULT ME. IF YOU CAN INSULT EVERY PERSON THAT HAS RULED THIS COUNTRY TILL DATE, INCLUDING A SICK MAN (YAR`ADUA),WHY SHOULD I BOTHER IF YOU INSULT A MEMBER OF THE MASSES SUCH AS I AM. I STILL STAND BY MY POSITION. PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO HAVE TURNED VANGUARD ONLINE COMMUNITY FORUM INTO AN AVENUE FOR ABUSING EVERY PERSON YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH HIS OR HER OPINION, RATHER THAN A PLATFORM FOR HEALTHY CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS, SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED, IF NOT FOR THE MAGNANIMITY OF THE VANGUARD MEDIA LTD, ANY SPACE HERE. THANKS. Sylvester Udemezue (08021365545, mrudems@yahoo.com)
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Nice Try Mr "Slick" Udemezue. This "shouting" as evidenced by your using CAPITAL letters clearly tells the readers who is doing the shouting here, and it clearly shows that my comments really got deep under your skin. Shallow minded people who easily forget that when they do their praise worship on the web for pesonal gains, (just like you are doing here) apparently deserves the resultant outburst from the public. Note that I am not the only one rejecting your self serving loyalist rendition in favour of your demi-god IBB here.
When you or people like you stoop so low and forget the iniquities of this evil man from Minna so soon, either by error orby commission, you will definitely get unpleasant consequences whether you want to cajole Vanguard Online's favour to your side or not. It is so beautiful that the world has so much progressed these days that the web had made it possible to the masses to vent their anger and disgust against the conduct of people like you without IBB being able to hunt people with his killer squad. So, thanks to Vanguard and the other forums that had forever changed the face
of journalism as it enhances the voice of the oppressed.
You need to get real and forget about these praise singing of IBB because you are touching off sensitive impulses of the oppressed masses whose Lives IBB had directly or indriectly destroyed by his selfish authoritarian rule. Never will we allow a beast to rule us again in the name of this man, IBB. You need to get in line or continue to face a barage of condemnation from the people right here, because you are fighting a lost battle. IBB IS NOT COMING BACK. PERIOD.
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Let me help you draw IBB's attention even more:
Name: Sylvester Udemezue
Telephone: 08021365545
Email address: mrudems@yahoo.com
Home Town : Asaba, very close to late Maryam Babangida's home
Experience: Anti June 12 sympathiser, traitor, and Pro IBB campaigner in 1993.
NOTE: Unemployed, and desperately looking to belong. Uncelebrated Sell-Out, hypocrate, and selfserving apologist and die-hard supporter of "IBB 2011" Hope you are listening sir.
I hope I tried my best to help your cause here
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