Annulment of June 12 deprived Maryam of winning Nobel Prize.
And let me tell you if Abiola had become the President,MaryamBabangida would have won the Nobel Prize because for the first time, that Kenyan woman Wangari Maathai who got the prize and Mrs Babangida were two popular women who were pioneering women development in this country.Maryam was pioneering Better Life for Rural Women.It was unique.And the Kenyan woman was pioneering their forestation.Abiola helped Mrs Babangida a lot inpursuing that agenda worldwide. There were two things MKO pursued and if he had become President,he would have made this country proud. One of the things MKO would have pursued to the end was reparation. Abiola also pursued Maryam'sagenda. MKO gave money to pursue the concept of reparation. And I remember attending a conference on reparation in the US . He wanted the whites to return all our stolen artifacts.Babangida was very proud of the reparation thing and he carried it to the OAU. I am sure that thing is dead today
which is sad also. So the annulment ofJune 12, killed these two items unfortunately.Mrs Babangida would have won the Prize if Babangida had not annulled the June 12 election.We will think that it was Abiola who lost, but that is not true.We all lost. I was very close to Abiola. We were together at the Constituent Assembly in 1977 and I warned him that the people he was going out with will not make him President. He said no it cannot be.But I said to him,good luck. When he joined the SDP, fortunately or unfortunately,I told him there was vacancy in Aso. What does that mean, that Babangida was ready to go. Maybe I was wrong.The way the man ended still haunts me. When I sat on my bed and remember him, I regretted asking him to run for the election.In 1994, he visited me at my hospital bed, he was a good man.May his soul and that of Kudirat rest in peace.
IBB's decision to retire from politics.
I managed his exit twice, 1993 and 1996. In 1996I went to him, to tell him that Gen.Obasanjo was tricking him.
But it took him time to believe me.When he finally believed me, I said go to him and find out. I managed his exit but that time people around him were saying why must he get out. And I am glad he got out because Obasanjo would have humiliated him. And I was not happy when he was involved in this zoning thing because I know he does not believe in that.If you read the speech IBB delivered in 1988 at the constituent Assembly, which I drew up for him, we rejected zoning, we rejected religion ,we rejected many of these things. So when he started the zoning thing, I said may be he has found new consultants. So,saying he is quitting politics today is not a big deal. He should have quit since,even before Jonathan'selection and support Jonathan who is from the minority.
Boko Haram
It raises fundamental question whether this country can continue as one. I have said it long ago that this country cannot continue as one under the present arrangement.Some people said I am trying to disintegrate the country, I said no that is
not the issue. What ever the Boko Haram are preaching should be obvious to all of us now. I don't blame Jonathan because he does not have an answer, which is unfortunate.Look at what happened to us now at African Union. He was to be made the President of the AU but because the home is not in order they gave it to Boni Yayi of Republic of Benin . So that is the kind of problem we are having today because the home is not inorder. I have said it over and over if you read the tale of June 12, that we can only bring about peace through a fundamental restructuring of this country.At one time I said there are two questions,how Nigerians can live together and how Nigeria can be governed.Those two issues have not been addressed.Nigerians cannot live together under the present arrangement.Don't let us deceive ourselves. Whatever Boko Haram preaches and response from government,they are all in error.
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