BABANGIDA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BACK TO POWER, WARNS THE CLERGY?

Icheoku commends the activism of the bishop of Akure Anglican Diocese, Bishop Michael Ipinmoye, who recently called on the evil one, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, to forget about coming back to rule Nigeria again! Icheoku heretofore, invites the other men and women of God in Nigeria to rise up in unison and follow the lead in speaking against the evil that is threatening to engulf Nigeria with the declared intention of the evil genius for the presidency. We believe that anyone of them who remains silent amidst the confusion created by Babangida's declaration of intent to be president again, serves not the almighty One but a special interest!

Evil thrives in a society when good men keep quiet and fail to do something; so now is the time for all the good men and women of Nigeria to unanimously join the lead of Bishop Ipinmoye in saying big 'NO' to Babangida's attempt at a second coming since the first one was more bloody than beneficial to Nigerians and Nigerians are still to recover from his bombardment? Civil rights groups, civil societies, other groups including market women and traders as well as NLC etc must rise up now to condemn the devilish audacity of Babangida and tell him, enough! Babangida's declared presidential ambition after the wrath of his previous eight years of military interregnum was simply very insensitive of his to think that Nigerians were not hurt during his regime?

Bishop Ipinmoye condemned what he called the recycling of past tired bankrupt self-aggrandising leaders who have nothing new or more to offer to the people and the country of Nigeria; and asked Nigerians to resist them and not allow such bad leaders to continuously occupy positions of authority in the country. Continuing, the bishop said that “Babangida should not have dared to raise his head for any political office in Nigeria, due to his antecedent leadership, which woefully failure of colossal proportion; reminding IBB not to forget how he hurriedly left office in disgrace through the mythical "step-aside' volte face? The bishop cited as most damning Babangida's albatross, the death of Dele Giwa, the annulment of June 12 election, which was the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria, the death of the winner of the election MKO Abiola, the issue of corruption which took flight during his regime and concluding that Nigerians would not forget in a hurry their experience under the infamous toothy fairy of Minna.' The bishop concluded that 'all these old horses should stay away completely from politics so that we can move forward in this country; and that we have been standing on the same spot, all motion and no movement simply because our tired old leaders lack fresh ideas to move the country forward.”

Icheoku says, well spoken bishop; and lets hope the voice of the clergy is the voice of God and that Nigerians will listen this time and stop the evil genius cold at the steps before he makes his way to Aso Rock. The leopard never changes its spots and as Olusegun Obasanjo proved, once a despot always a despot whether or not the cloak of choice is starched khaki or flowing agbada? Icheoku calls on numero-uno conscience of the nation, Wole Soyinka, to lead the stop Babangida express, notwithstanding that Babangida had once compromised him with a 700 million naira Road Safety contract as the first Marshall General of the Federal Road Safety Corp? This is a time when Icheoku wished that the only man Babangida could not compromise, Chief Gani Fawehinmi was still alive to show Babangida pepper; and tell him to his face, how much he is hated by Nigerians, many of who are now cowering in fear and cannot voice out how really they feel about him and disapprove of his devilish ambition? Cardinal Olubumi Okoje allegedly have a sex-tape of his with Babangida and may not be stepping forward in opposition, so we call on Reverend Matthew Kukah and others to lead the effort and compliment Bishop Ipinmoye crusade to stop Babangida cold. Other political leaders and leaders of thought in Nigeria should also start speaking up against the evil that was witnessed under the treacherous regime of Babangida and how that alone disqualifies him from the presidency in 2011? This is not such a time when silence is golden and the man in all Nigerians will certainly die if they remain silent in the face of the tyranny that is Babangida trying to seize power again in Nigeria for the second time. Enough Babangida, Nigerians have suffered enough in your hands and under your watch, so just go away!.