IBB NOT SCARED OF S/WEST – MARTINS, CAMPAIGN AIDE

Mr. Ebunoluwa Martins is the state coordinator of IBB Campaign Organization, Lagos State and the Acting Director, Media, South West for the IBB Support Group.

He spoke with TOYESE OLADEJO on why the former military president must be voted into power in next year's presidential election and on sundry matters of national interest.

Ibadan IBB rally
'The IBB Oyo State chapter organized the rally. Most of us from other South West states only came to celebrate with them. We also expected them to come around when we would be having our own. IBB is very much at home in the South West. He has numerous friends, assocites and supporters there. You will be by his acceptance in the South West. He can never be afraid of South West.'

PDP zoning arrangement
'The zoning as far as we know and as members of the Peoples Democratic (Party), zoning is in our constitution of our party. We expect everybody to go along with it. It is this zoning system that brought about the Vice President to the exalted office of President and Speaker as well as the Senate President. Even the party chairman emerged from zoning.

'If you cannot honour your manifesto how can anyone trust you? It means we can't honour the words and the spirit of the constitution. We should honour it and be faithful to zoning.'

View on IBB
'Let us be very honest with ourselves, Since IBB left power, those who took over what have been their achievements? It is zero. Have we improved on what IBB did? Have we created new jobs? Unfortunately, we can't see anything. It is someone like IBB who has the experience, who understands what it takes to make the right decision. He has been involved. He is the right man to do the job from 2011 and beyond.

'Do you know how many people were employed through FRSC, NETIM, DFRI and MAMSER? Lagos was given 12 local governments by IBB.

The same local governments which my able, respectable governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu used over N12 Billion to establish, IBB gave us freely. 'The country need an experienced president and IBB fits it. We don't need a president who will be using the presidency to learn. We must move forward and plan for the future. Anger and unnecessary emotion won't help us. Let us allow IBB to rule the country. Of course, we need new blood but they must be mixed with the old. In this case, IBB is the right man.'

June 12 annulment
'It was the military government. It is different from civilian government. You should know that certain things occurred which would not be open to us. They came to power through coup detat. June 12 annulment was done by combatant soldiers. It wasn't IBB's handiwork, it was a collective decision of the military. Those who were using propaganda against IBB are only insincere. MKO's vice president, Baba Gana Kingibe got ministerial appointment from Abacha. This only points to the fact that there was more to it than meet the eye in the June 12 annulment.

'June 12 has come and gone. IBB is no longer in the military. The man at the centre of the game, MKO Abiola was part of the military then. If they betrayed him, it was due to a quarrel among them. Why should we be using it as a political tool?'

President Goodluck Jonathan
'It would be wrong to start playing God. If you have luck and you stretched it too far, you would be disgraced. Before Jonathan became president, those now campaigning for him would not go near him.. When he was VP, how many of them go to him? If he is my brother, uncle or father, I would advise him not to contest the election but to organize free and fair elections, let the North have their two terms. I know Jonathan is a very good man, he may not think of even contesting. He should be able to see how they misled Obadanjo. I am sure that he would be able to ward off the sycophants around him.'

Political class
'They have not done well. The economy has nosedived. Some people said IBB legalized corruption and I want to tell you that IBB detests corruption.'

Can we now say Jonathan legalized kidnapping?
'No, it wasn't true. IBB has done much for the country. Look at the Better Life for Rural Women which threw the womenfolks into the front burner of our national life. Even when IBB was under tension, he performed well, and, creditably too.'

Political aspiration
'I am for my principal, General Ibrahim Babangida. But I want young men to come forward to contest elections as council chairmen, members of Houses of Assemblies and the National Assembly.'

Prof. Attahiru Jega
'The erudite professor is only an individual. Let us build a wide institution. Look at the institutions IBB built, they are still waxing stronger, years after he had left office. We should think of building virile institutions and not individuals.'

Advice to Nigerians
'They should go and register and also ensure that they defend their votes so as not serve people who their fathers served. They should vote for a good candidate and for now, IBB stands out as the only one that can rule Nigeria well. He is tested there are other good ones that are yet to be tested, those ones I can't vouch for them. If Wole Soyinka can put up the idea of FRSC, late Tai Solarin brought the idea of Peoples Bank of Nigeria (PBN) and IBB accepted them and that means he is a good leader.

A leader that can accommodate people who have ideas. I want to appeal to all Nigerians not to listen to campaign of calumny. We should move over emotional bias for the sake of our country. The common man should not be drawn into what they do not know. The late MKO Abiola was part of the military then and the people should just see it at that. IBB remains the only candidate that can bail this country out of her multifarious crises.'