Newsscreen

FORMER military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, on Wednesday, lamented that he lost friends to his feud with former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

General Babangida told newsmen in Minna, Niger State, that what the media quoted him as saying against the Obasanjo-led administration was not what he meant, even as he said the media “overheated” him.

Babangida, who was on a sallah visit to the Tunga, Minna residence of the acting governor of Niger State, Honourable Musa Ibeto, in company with another former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, said “the press, not politicians, are responsible for the heat in our national polity.”

On their way out of the premises, Abdulsalami had enjoined the media to be mindful of their reportage, asking them to avoid reports that could cause disaffection in the nation’s polity.

However, when informed that politicians’ outbursts and actions might be responsible for the overheating of the polity, Babangida interjected, saying “no, no, you (journalists) are the one overheating the polity; even recently, you overheated me.”

Referring to the heat that was generated following reports that IBB condemned the eight-year tenure of Obasanjo, describing the period as a waste, the former military president said he never meant it the way it was reported.

Babangida insisted that Obasanjo was still his boss and would remain so.

By Adelowo Oladipo Nigerian Tribune

THERE seems to be no end to the bitter row between former leaders Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, joined the fray yesterday. He said it was a grave mistake for ex-President Obasanjo to have insulted ex-Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
He said rather than insulting Babangida, Obasanjo ought to be eternally grateful to the former Military President.
Fani-Kayode, who was a Minister in the Obasanjo administration, issued a statement in Abuja, saying: “I have the honour and privilege of knowing both of these elder statesmen and I have tremendous affection for them both. I served in President Obasanjo’s government and I gave him my all. He, in turn, gave me the opportunity to serve my country and for that I am eternally grateful to him. However, we must put sentiment aside when looking at this issue …The Nation

President Goodluck Jonathan has intervened in the public feud between two of his predecessors, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, asking them to bury the hatchet. Obasanjo and Babangida, both former heads of government and retired generals, had last week exchange words, calling each other fools.

On Sunday, a source in the Presidency told one of our correspondents that Jonathan, who was “embarrassed” by the conduct of the two former heads of state, had intervened on Saturday.

The source said Jonathan made separate telephone calls to Obasanjo and Babangida, who are also chieftains of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, on Saturday.

The source said, “Nobody should expect the President to fold his arms and be watching. He has done the natural thing to do in a situation like this …Punch