Nigeria's former military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, has said that if he contests election and wins, nobody can annul it. Mr. Babangida, who was responding to questions from journalists shortly after he paid a courtesy call to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, implied that he was able to annul the 1993 election because at that time, he operated as a military ruler. That sword he murdered with, according to IBB, can not be used to kill him.
Mr. Babangida had in 1993 annulled the election of the late Moshood Abiola, who was believed to have won the election.
No room for annulment
Mr. Babangida, who is aspiring to be a democratically elected president in the 2011 polls, said annulling elections woud be impossible under the current democratic dispensation.
He maintained that in a democracy that is dictated by the rule of law, the people's will must prevail at all times.
"I want you to understand two things; this time, my dear friend, we are playing democracy; that is the government of the people,by the people, and for the people, using political parties and the rule of law. So, I can't see anybody annulling my election in a democratic society. Don't forget that I ran a military government," Mr. Babangida said.
He debunked insinuations that a plan is afoot for him to defect to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), saying it is mere speculation.
"It is a speculation. You know you people (journalists) have a very fertile mind and you think about virtually everything. So you know it remains a speculation."
The retired general clarified the north's position on zoning, saying the south started the whole idea about zoning, not the north, and it is because the Peoples' Democratic Party wants to be fair that it adopted zoning.
"The whole idea of zoning started from the south, from those who feared that the north has continued to dominate the political environment since independence. And I think the complaints were genuine, and there was a party which felt that this complaint was genuine and agreed that power should rotate. And then it had the support of the people who wanted fairness, justice, and in the name of getting everybody involved on how to rule the country," he explained.
