FORMER military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, told journalists in Abuja on Thursday that he has foreclosed active participation in electoral politics in Nigeria for good.
The retired general spoke at the venue of the 9th Daily Trust Dialogue, stressing his commitment, nevertheless, to the unity of Nigeria in spite of its potpourri of challenges.
“IF I am called to advise in any capacity, as a patriot, I would. But I have decided not to contest elections again. You won’t have Ibrahim Babangida to beat around anymore”.
Babangida, who chaired the event, said: “The country went through a three-year civil war and I took a bullet to ensure its oneness. I am assuring you, if some people want Nigeria to divide and the government says the country must remain united, I’m telling you I am going to put on my uniform to fight for the unity of Nigeria.”
He said he decided to quit active politics following alleged unrelenting vilification from the media and charged the media to set the appropriate agenda to ensure a united Nigeria and ignore divisive reportage.
“I do not believe in the breaking up of Nigeria. The discussions centered on Christian South and Muslim North should not be a topic in the country. The media should ignore it because it is one of the issues bringing up the divisions that affect the unity of this country today.
“No one should tamper with the unity of this country. Anyone who wants to remain in the country should not disrupt its fundamental unity. Nigeria will not be fragmented because the Republic status has been attained and cannot be reversed by sentiments. And, Nigeria is a capitalist country and we will remain a capitalist country”.
One of the speakers at the well attended event and a Lecturer at the Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training, Zaria Dr. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, alleged that the nation’s media organizations had relegated objective reportage to the background, stressing that “profit-making has taken prominence over National Interest”.
In a paper on the topic “Politics and the Media in Africa,” Mohammed also submitted that the Nigerian Media had not presented Nigeria well to the international community.
He stated: “The Media should take the country first. Everything should be done to preserve the unity of the country”.