IBB Finally Speaks, ‘My Original Statement Stands’

The controversy surrounding a statement issued by former military President Ibrahim Babangida may have been put to bed as the elder statesman has now spoken out.

Recall that on Sunday, IBB’s media aide, Kassim Afegbua, issued a statement issued on behalf of the former president, on critical national issues one of which is asking President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek reelection in 2019.

While condemning the prevalence of farmers/herders clashes in the middle belt, the former military leader also canvassed for the need to have new crop of leaders.

But hours later another statement released and signed on behalf of IBB, disowned Afegbua’s earlier statement saying the views in the previous statement were those of the spokesman.

But in a chat with THISDAY, Babangida said his original statement still stands.

The newspaper said when Babangida got informed that a counter-statement had been issued, he instructed Afegbua to reach out to media houses to reaffirm the validity of the first statement.

Afegbua had in an interview on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels Television, said the second statement was issued by IBB’s friends and had nothing to do with his principal.

“So when the statement was released, some of his friends saw it and they felt we were trying to put the former president on a collision course with the president. So, they went and did a statement to deny that,” Afegbua said.

“But I have since spoken to him; he called me and said, that statement stands. The kernel of that statement should inform public discourse and not necessarily people personalising it as if it were to be against the sitting president.

“So, the statement stands and I have since communicated to all the media houses that they should respect that statement as coming from IBB. It did not emanate from my head. We sat down, we discussed and articulated them.

IBB reportedly frowned at the manner the statement he issued was treated.

Babangida’s statement comes less than two weeks after former President Olusegun Obasanjo released a similar statement, advising President Buhari against reelection.