Posted by By Oke Epia on
National Democratic Party (NDP) has decried anti-IBB campaigns on the internet targeted at the rumoured presidential bid of former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd), saying the former Head of state is undeterred.
National Democratic Party (NDP) has decried anti-IBB campaigns on the internet targeted at the rumoured presidential bid of former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd), saying the former Head of state is undeterred.
In a statement by its Director-General, Mr. Kazeem Afegbua, the party carpeted those behind the campaign noting that their actions were against democratic norms.
"It is true that democracy allows for freedom of expression but such guarantee should not be canvassed at the pedestrian level of politicking," the party said, adding that "no amount of sponsored blackmail or campaign of calumny that can stop IBB from pursuing his aspiration for 2007 with a strong assurance that he will get the maximum votes to defeat anyone who decides to compete with him."
The NDP which is the only party known to have offered its 2007 presidential ticket to Babangida even though the former ruler is yet to publicly declare his ambition, said structures have been put in place to countermand whatever impact the web-site campaigns may produce.
The statement read in part: "The National Democratic Party has since taken a decision that it will irrevocably lend its full weight in support of IBB through a conscious and sustained process of canvassing for votes from the electorates who are spread across the 120,000 poling units in the federation.
We will comb the nooks and cranny of this country and carry people along in order to instill sense of belonging in them without given to the petty sentiments of ethnic and political chauvinism. General Babangida has been doing so much for this country that we feel highly obliged to cultivate his participation in the new social political order for him to consolidate on the achievements of the present government.
"Those who are busy wasting their time on opening website should quickly find accommodation in the new political order of the Babangida matrix so that they would be carried along instead of sitting on the fence out of lack of creativity and positive ideas.
"Let thousands of websites be created, provide jobs for the boys but that cannot stop the foreseeable victory of the ultimate godfather General Babangida at the 2007 polls. Those issues being advertised daily have become weather beaten and cracked like the rhymes of old records. They simply cannot dissuade our supporters who are in millions all over the country from giving their best and lining up behind IBB when the game takes full steam."