The last may not have been heard about the feud between former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, IBB, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as the former insisted that it is now an eye for an eye with the latter. Babangida said he would no longer sit idly and watch Obasanjo throw darts at him.
Prince Kassim Afegbua, IBB media spokesman, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on behalf of his principal, yesterday, said that legal redress was one of the options before them. The statement came on the heels of the alleged moves by some elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to get the warring former Nigerian leaders to cease fire.
But in the statement that suggested that Babangida was not in the mood to ceasefire yet, Afegbua said whereas “we are actually not fighting Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, it has not got to that level, we might seek legal redress on this issue”.
He went on: “We think and most Nigerians do, also, that the former leader went beyond his bounds to use very uncouth language to respond to what IBB said in his interview. I want to refer you to the published interview and, please find out for me, where we castigated Chief Obasanjo.
“General IBB only made allusion to the on-going probes in the National Assembly, several of which have exposed the rotten underbelly of that democratic regime of Obasanjo. He should rather call those who are exposing him through the probes fools and not direct his anger towards IBB.
“Every Nigerian who knows General IBB will attest to the fact that the former leader is highly cerebral and conveys a large dose of humility, tolerance and respect for people. He hardly discusses leaders on the pages of newspapers. But for him to be so described as a “fool at seventy” as a birthday message from a man who has gained more from IBB was the height of crass irresponsibility.
We are still weighing the options because we might seek legal redress on this issue. Please go and check the dictionary meaning of ‘fool’ and you will know the import of what I am saying.”
‘NO TO CEASEFIRE’
The spokesman added: “Chief Obasanjo has just brought home ant-infested logs, so he must be ready for the visit of the lizards. We will not allow him to denigrate the personality and quintessence of IBB just like that.
People are aware that General IBB is very magnanimous and tolerant of criticism, he does not like joining issues with his subordinates and superiors, but on this issue, we will place history in its true perspectives. A sentence from OBJ will be met with two sentences from us.
A word from him will be met with a sentence from us. Gone were those days when people just ram things down the throat of General IBB and the man will just let things go by. These days, we will return word for word, sentence for sentence and phrase for phrase.
“What did General IBB say that warranted the outburst? Just tell me. IBB respects the young and the old. It is a characteristic in him that you cannot take away. Why then would he be that castigated by a man who has gained from IBB so much in terms of support? As Africans, if our customs and traditions are still flourishing well, it will not be out of place if he comes around every day to pay homage to IBB for rehabilitating his history and humanity. Please tell Baba to know that he does not possess the monopoly for vitriolic attacks. The fact that we have tolerated him over the years does not confer foolishness on our part”.
Obasanjo has reportedly stated that he would pass no further comments on the matter.
Babangida had fired the first salvo on Tuesday, the eve of his 70th birthday when, in a media chat, he upbraided Obasanjo, saying his administration spent $16 billion on power without generating electricity. He blamed it on lack of foresight.
But Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria for a second time for eight years between 1999 and 2007, in a riposte, described Babangida as a fool at 70.
Prince Kassim Afegbua, IBB media spokesman, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on behalf of his principal, yesterday, said that legal redress was one of the options before them. The statement came on the heels of the alleged moves by some elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to get the warring former Nigerian leaders to cease fire.
But in the statement that suggested that Babangida was not in the mood to ceasefire yet, Afegbua said whereas “we are actually not fighting Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, it has not got to that level, we might seek legal redress on this issue”.
He went on: “We think and most Nigerians do, also, that the former leader went beyond his bounds to use very uncouth language to respond to what IBB said in his interview. I want to refer you to the published interview and, please find out for me, where we castigated Chief Obasanjo.
“General IBB only made allusion to the on-going probes in the National Assembly, several of which have exposed the rotten underbelly of that democratic regime of Obasanjo. He should rather call those who are exposing him through the probes fools and not direct his anger towards IBB.
“Every Nigerian who knows General IBB will attest to the fact that the former leader is highly cerebral and conveys a large dose of humility, tolerance and respect for people. He hardly discusses leaders on the pages of newspapers. But for him to be so described as a “fool at seventy” as a birthday message from a man who has gained more from IBB was the height of crass irresponsibility.
‘NO TO CEASEFIRE’
The spokesman added: “Chief Obasanjo has just brought home ant-infested logs, so he must be ready for the visit of the lizards. We will not allow him to denigrate the personality and quintessence of IBB just like that.
People are aware that General IBB is very magnanimous and tolerant of criticism, he does not like joining issues with his subordinates and superiors, but on this issue, we will place history in its true perspectives. A sentence from OBJ will be met with two sentences from us.
A word from him will be met with a sentence from us. Gone were those days when people just ram things down the throat of General IBB and the man will just let things go by. These days, we will return word for word, sentence for sentence and phrase for phrase.
“What did General IBB say that warranted the outburst? Just tell me. IBB respects the young and the old. It is a characteristic in him that you cannot take away. Why then would he be that castigated by a man who has gained from IBB so much in terms of support? As Africans, if our customs and traditions are still flourishing well, it will not be out of place if he comes around every day to pay homage to IBB for rehabilitating his history and humanity. Please tell Baba to know that he does not possess the monopoly for vitriolic attacks. The fact that we have tolerated him over the years does not confer foolishness on our part”.
Obasanjo has reportedly stated that he would pass no further comments on the matter.
Babangida had fired the first salvo on Tuesday, the eve of his 70th birthday when, in a media chat, he upbraided Obasanjo, saying his administration spent $16 billion on power without generating electricity. He blamed it on lack of foresight.
But Obasanjo, who ruled Nigeria for a second time for eight years between 1999 and 2007, in a riposte, described Babangida as a fool at 70.
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