by Seyi Lawal

General Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria’s ex-military president, announced yesterday that his days of active partisan politics is over, but that was not before adding that he will however, provide advisory services to the nation as a statesman.

IBB made the disclosure at the Daily Trust 9th Annual Dialogue which took place at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja Thursday.  “I have news for you my media friends: you will never see Ibrahim Babangida again. Today, my dear media friends, although I will continue to be involved by playing advisory role, I have decided never to seek political office in this country again,” Babangida said.

 In his speech, IBB rebuked the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, for selling out, Babangida said Maku had changed and had become the champion of government’s deregulation policy. “I have my brother here, Labaran Maku, who was a young student leader always leading demonstration against Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), always demonstrating against minor increases in fuel prices. Today, he is in government, he is now government spokesman. Maku was also one of the restless reporters against IBB transitional programme; I hope Labaran Maku will use his wealth of experience to reverse all the hot phrases and coinages used by protesters, the Lagos youths, critics and civil right activists. Most of the phrases used in the protest were coined by Labaran, as a student,” he said.

Chairman of Media Trust, publishers of Daily Trust, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, told the gathering that this year’s event was organised to x-ray the role of the media in politics, and how it affects governance and development.