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 Daily Independent Online.
* Thursday, August 12, 2004.
Nigerians
disrupt IBB campaign rally in New York
By Habib Aruna
Assistant Politics Editor (Lagos) and Ben Duru
Correspondent (Owerri)
Opposition to
the perceived Presidential ambition of former military President Ibrahim
Babangida has grown in far away United States as Nigerians disrupted the
launch of IBB Project 2007 held in New York City, Wednesday.
Sources said in
response to public invitation, some Nigerians had gathered at the
Radisson Hotel to formally sensitise them and build support for the bid
of Babangida in the 2007 Presidential contest.
However, some
members of the Nigerian Liberty Forum (NLF), a civil rights group
championing the interests of Nigerians in the U.S., staged a protest at
the venue and disrupted the event.
“This is in line
with our desire to forestall any attempt by Babangida to return himself
to power in Nigeria”, said Omoyele Sowore, NLF Publicity Director who led
the protest.
NLF distributed
leaflets to the audience, most of whom were surprised at the turn of
events. Some left the venue, apparently disturbed by the development
which they regarded as unusual.
“The leaflet was
aimed as an address to the Project 2007 personnel who we believe are
supporting Babangida because of greed. IBB is a desperado who has hired
some ignorant Nigerians in the Diaspora to fool Nigerians at home and
abroad into accepting his candidacy in 2007”, Sowore added, stressing
that the NLF will not relent until Babangida’s supporters are “fully
exposed and disgraced both at home and abroad”.
Even so, it was
learnt that as soon as the NLF leaders completed the distribution of the
leaflets, the organisers ordered them to leave the venue. This led to
confusion as the pro-IBB group allegedly resorted to the use of force to
remove the interlopers.
Meanwhile,
feelers emerging from the group packaging the public presentation of a
book written on Babangida is that it would be used to promote his
Presidential ambition in the South East and neutralise the Igbo
Presidency clamour.
Former
presidential candidate of the All Peoples Grand Alliance in the 2003
elections, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, is to chair the launch on August 13.
Retired Supreme
Court Judge, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, is expected to be the guest
speaker. Other invitees include President Olusegun Obasanjo, governors
and ministers.
Titled
“Governance in Nigeria: The IBB Era - An Insider's View”, the book was
written by the National Co-ordinator of the Democratic Mandate Group
(DMG) and former Internal Affairs Minster John Sagaya.
DMG South East Co-ordinator Kachi
Onyekwere said in Lagos that the book launch would be a political
re-union for Babangida's admirers.
Investigation
showed that the occasion, which has been moved from the Grasshoppers
International Handball Stadium to Imo Concord Hotel, Owerri would attract
notable politicians from the South East and South South.
A
group from Delta State would be led by some Asaba traditional chiefs who
see the launch as an opportunity to re-introduce Babangida to the people
of the South East.
The reason why
the zone was chosen is simply because of the desire of the South East to
produce the next President , a project that has already received the
endorsement of the zone’s apex socio-cultural organisation Ohaneze
Ndigbo.
It was also
learnt that Owerri was chosen because of the belief that majority of
those backing the Igbo Presidency agenda hail from there and, to
effectively neutralise the campaign, Babangida should come to Imo to show
solidarity with the people.
“We want to achieve one or two
things from the launch.
Firstly, this is the first time the South East is being chosen for
such a presentation.
Secondly, 2007 is around the corner and we want our people to see
the man we are talking about”, a source said.
According to
him, consultations have been on since last month to enable the
presidential hopeful reach out to Igbo politicians especially those in
the fore-front of the Igbo Presidency project, “and a lot has been
achieved”.
He added: “By the time the
battle really begins, we would have been able to neutralise those who are
nursing the campaign for Igbo President. We would also have been able to garner the support of
the necessary Igbo politicians and this would make our campaign easier”.
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