Assumed Babaginda’s Advise to Buhari, Varying Press Release Give the Former President GCON, Instead of GCFR

Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda

ABUJA/Nigeria: Controversy has continued to trail a letter purportedly written by Ex-President Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda, authored on his behalf by his press secretary, Kassim Afegbua, which he has allegedly disowned .

Afegbua in the statement said that Babangida advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek reelection. A source close to Afegbua insisted that Babangida did not issue any rebuttal.

But in separate statements, the former head of state was alleged to have said that he has unfettered access to Buhari would prefer to speak to him personally if he has any advice to offer him.

In one of the statements, Babangida allegedly said: “Let me categorically state that as former President and Statesman, I have unfettered channel of communication with the highest authorities without sensational public correspondence, therefore those views expressed over there are personal views of the writer.”

In another statement Babangida was quoted to have said that the initial statement by signed by his media aide “is in its entirety, an inaccurate representation of my view of the state of our dear Nation.” This source of this later statement, it was learnt was made available by a source very close to the ruling party.

Surprisingly, in the latter statement, the former head of state was given the national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) usually reserved for occupants of the office of the vice president instead of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

But in all this, Mr. Afegbua has insisted that Babangida, was in support of a generational change and has not instructed him to withdraw the statement.

He noted that the statement was not an open letter to Buhari but an indication of the former head of state’s impression of the state of the nation.