Two-party system: I’m vindicated - IBB

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, has taken a retrospective look at the ongoing merger talks among the opposition political parties in the country, saying that he has been vindicated for trying to introduce a two-party system in Nigeria during his tenure of office.

He stated this while fielding questions from journalists on Wednesday, at his residence in Minna, Niger State, during a visit by members of the Governing Council of the National Examinations Council (NECO), led by its chairman, Dr Paddy Njoku, as well as the registrar and chief executive officer of the council, Professor Promise Okpala.

“Infact I was a very good advocate of  a two-party system  and when I said the nation should operate a two-party system during my tenure as military president , you said no and  that  I am a soldier and an  idiot . But now you are seeing reasons I advocated that. So, I am happy at the new development, because it is working for the nation’ political development,” he stated

 It will be recalled  that General Babangida’s government established the defunct National Republican Convention(NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) through a decree ratified by the then armed forces ruling council, the highest decision making body of his military regime.

He, however, deplored the current situation among the political class for not making concerted efforts at enlightening the ordinary Nigerians who formed the bulk of the nation’s eligible voters  and  whose overwhelming  votes determined the winners in a free and fair election in the country.

Accordingly, he said “things are getting better because  we are now talking about it,  though we can continue to dissipate our energies in talking about appointment portfolio, but when you allowed an ordinary man who is not well informed, or who  does not know what is happening because he has not been gingered to belief  in himself and  what he is fighting for. Unless we achieve that as a democratic nation, we will still have problems.”

Speaking further, General Babangida expressed delight that NECO, formerly known as National Board for Educational Measurements was cited in Minna, his home town,  adding that “as I said earlier, I have a very close relationship with the examinations body, because we run a school and I know what roles they are playing in trying to help us to attain certain standards both in education and we have a confidence that we have such an outfit and it is a blessing to the education sector and development of this country.”

He said the fact that NECO, despite its 10 years of existence was still being ran on generating set  because it had not yet been connected to the national grid as a Nigerian problem,  but  expressed hope that the council  would soon be connected to the national grid.