Former military president Ibrahim Babangida’s controversial advice to President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly caused disagreement in his family and political camp. It was learned that this led to prompt release of a second one attributed to his “friends.”Babangida’s spokesman Kazeem Afegbua had released a statement on Sunday titled, Towards a National Rebirth in which he quoted Babangida as advising the president against seeking a second term in office come 2019.
Afegbua also quoted the former head of state as advising Nigerians to do away with analogue leaders and embrace those of the digital age. But the former Nigerian leader, in another statement signed by him on the same day, noted that he had easy access to the president and that where necessary, he would speak to him in camera, not resorting to open letter. And it is understood that Babangida and his political associates are still considering if he should join the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) or not.
Reports claim most of his associates do not want him to join forces with former president Olusegun Obasanjo to form any coalition.“There is anxiety in the camp of Babangida on whether or not to join Obasanjo’s coalition. Some of his associates and relations(including children) had been prevailing on him to limit his contributions on 2019 to his thoughts and recommendations on the two-party system,” The Nation quoted a source as saying.“In fact, the scion of the family, Mohammed Babangida, some associates and friends were behind the temperate second statement on Sunday which actually the ex-military President did not know about.
"So, as I am talking to you, the ex-military leader and his associates had been weighing options on the way forward. "Some of his longtime associates and children are opposed to any gang-up in the twilight of his life. They also cited the alleged harassment of Mohammed during the administration of ex-Obasanjo over the investigation of the Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga, on why Babangida should not dignify the CNM.”