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2011: IBB Takes Campaign to U.S
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published November 10th, 2010
- Washington File
- Unrated
As the 2011 electioneering campaign gathers momentum, retired General Ibrahim Babaginda is scheduled to hit the United States to push his presidential ambition.
Although details of his itinerary while in the United States is not yet made public, but BusinessWorld gathers that the retired general whose interest in returning to Aso Rock after eight years of military rule is receiving knocks from various quarters is billed to begin his campaign tour from New York.
In mid August 2010, Babangida officially affirmed his presidential ambitions declaring: "I'm back."
The declaration was the culmination of a busy fortnight which has seen the former military ruler launch a campaign website and set up offices in 32 states of the federation
Speaking at his house in Minna, the retired general dismissed all the recurrent obstacles that have been put forward to dissuade his ambitions. However, during a two hour press conference he repeatedly failed to put forward any clearly defined policies. He conceded that policy making was not his strongest point and that he will entrust such matters to a "trusted team of experts." He however defended some of his old policies such as the controversial Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) which he said foreshadowed many of today's democratic policies.
"When you look at SAP, it set out to achieve some things that are now being praised. Deregulation, opening up the economy and stabilising the naira were all things we set out to do with SAP and I am very proud of those things."
He said that although he presently had no clear manifesto, he will "unleash" outlined policies to the public in "two or three weeks." At 69, the former president dismissed suggestions that he was too old for the job.
"I have a daughter who makes sure I go to the gym every day so I have never been healthier. If you look at other countries [Hosni] Mubarak is 82, [Shimon] Peres is 87 and [Muammer] Ghadaffi is my age.
Although details of his itinerary while in the United States is not yet made public, but BusinessWorld gathers that the retired general whose interest in returning to Aso Rock after eight years of military rule is receiving knocks from various quarters is billed to begin his campaign tour from New York.
In mid August 2010, Babangida officially affirmed his presidential ambitions declaring: "I'm back."
The declaration was the culmination of a busy fortnight which has seen the former military ruler launch a campaign website and set up offices in 32 states of the federation
Speaking at his house in Minna, the retired general dismissed all the recurrent obstacles that have been put forward to dissuade his ambitions. However, during a two hour press conference he repeatedly failed to put forward any clearly defined policies. He conceded that policy making was not his strongest point and that he will entrust such matters to a "trusted team of experts." He however defended some of his old policies such as the controversial Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) which he said foreshadowed many of today's democratic policies.
"When you look at SAP, it set out to achieve some things that are now being praised. Deregulation, opening up the economy and stabilising the naira were all things we set out to do with SAP and I am very proud of those things."
He said that although he presently had no clear manifesto, he will "unleash" outlined policies to the public in "two or three weeks." At 69, the former president dismissed suggestions that he was too old for the job.
"I have a daughter who makes sure I go to the gym every day so I have never been healthier. If you look at other countries [Hosni] Mubarak is 82, [Shimon] Peres is 87 and [Muammer] Ghadaffi is my age.
