2019: When retired Generals say don’t override national interest with selfishness…
Few days after former leader and General of the Nigerian Army, Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo had written President Muhammadu Buhari to bury his 2019 re-election bid, another tactical General and former leader, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has cautioned the President to see reason and forget 2019 for the interest of the nation.
However, Babangida begged all Nigerians to cooperate with President Muhammadu Buhari to complete his term of office on May 29th, 2019 and collectively prepare the way for new generation (of) leaders to assume the mantle of leadership of the country.
In a statement issued by IBB’s media team on Sunday, February 04, 2018, the former military junta made it clear that he was not writing any letter, but felt that it has become very important to share his thoughts with “fellow compatriots” on the need to enthrone younger blood into the mainstream of our political leadership starting from 2019.
IBB mustered the rare courage to tell President Buhari that “there comes a time in the life of a nation when personal ambition should not override national interest.”
While urging the Federal Government to reinvent the wheel and tap into the resources of younger generation, IBB averred that his support for a new breed leadership derived from the understanding that it will show a marked departure from “recycled leadership” to creating new paradigms that will breathe fresh air into “our present polluted leadership actuality.”
According to IBB, granted that President Buhari concurs to his advice, “the search for new breed leadership must start now as the nation prepares for 2019 election”.
Even though the very last former Military ruler of Nigeria, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar is yet to speak up or advice President Buhari on his 2019 re-election bid, analysts say Generals have a way of seeing far and taking decision faster for the interest of the future.
