Former military president, General Ibrahim
Babangida (retd) on Saturday in Minna, said that
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the
strongest party in Africa, adding that the current
crisis is a test for the party.
Babangida is optimistic that PDP would
overcome its crisis and come out of it stronger.
The former president’s position contrasts with
the submission by former president Olusegun
Obasanjo that the party on which platform he
ruled the nation for eight years was dead.
Babangida spoke at his Hilltop home when the
Professor Jerry Gana-led Committee on Strategy
and Inter-Party Affairs came to brief him as one
of the founding fathers of the PDP on the
committee’s findings.
According to him, “the PDP remains the only
acceptable party to Nigerians at all levels
regardless of religious or tribal affiliations. It’s
the most acceptable party to the people.”
“I believe when the party overcomes this
challenge, it has the capacity to rule the country
for the next 60 years,” Babangida stressed,
adding that the PDP had been accepted from the
top to bottom because its presence had been
felt and accepted by the people for 16 years.
“From formation stage, I saw the PDP as IRA
(Irish Republican Army). We are the military
wing of the PDP.
“We took a lot of interest, when I say we, I mean
my boss T.Y. Danjuma, Obasanjo, myself, Gen.
Aliyu Mohammed. We started it.
“I termed us the IRA military wing of the PDP, I
thank God we came up with the old concept. I
believe one of our compatriots who said PDP
would rule for 60 years. He, however, urged the
party to work harder if it must take the power
back from the ruling party because nothing good
comes easy.
“But you still need to work very hard to get to
the top again. I am happy that you people are
trying to put the PDP back together again, and I
still believe that two-party system is the right
choice for Nigeria because it gives room for
choice.”
Addressing journalists after the meeting that
lasted over an hour, Chairman of the committee,
Prof. Gana said the All Progressives Congress
(APC) had failed Nigeria.
According to Gana, governance was all about the
security and welfare of the people. “But as
things are now, Nigerians are suffering. They
cannot feel the impact of the government. There
is hunger everywhere in the land. “APC as a
party over promised Nigerians and now they
cannot fulfill their promises. They have failed
Nigerians.”
While praying for the quick recovery of President
Muhammadu Buhari, who has just returned from
a medical trip to London, he said he would not
want to say much, adding that “if not for the
president’s health, I would have really punched
them, but I do not want to punch them hard
now, but the truth of the matter is that the APC
has failed the people completely.”
He was accompanied to the Hilltop residence of
Babangida by Chief Tom Ikimi, former deputy
speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka
Ihedioha, Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali, former
minister of education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran,
Chief Raymond Dokpesi, while the entire PDP
exco members in Niger State led by its
Chairman, Mr. Tanko Beji were present.