IBB tells aspirants to put Nigeria above other interests; pledges support for PDP consensus arrangement

Nigeria’s former Military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has met with some aspirants contesting for the office of the president on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming general elections.

Former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida has told those aspiring for the presidency to put Nigeria above other interests in everything they do.

Babangida gave the counsel when he received the former Senate President Bukola Saraki; Bauchi, and Sokoto State governors, Bala Mohammed and Aminu Tambwal respectively when they paid him a courtesy visit at his Hilltop residence in Minna, Niger State on Thursday.

“Your belief in having a better Nigeria featured very prominently. You made my day. What you talked about is Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria. I want you to keep it up, for the benefit of this country and generations yet unborn,” Babangida said in reaction to the comments from Mr Saraki who led the three-man delegation.

“I want you to keep it up, for the benefit of this country and generations yet unborn. What you are doing is good, this is how the country should develop.”

He promised to support the group “so long as you stay on the course of promoting Nigeria all the time, making it a secure country”.

Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki said the visit to the former Aso rock helsman was to seek his advice and guidance on the way to go and how to achieve the planned consensus in the PDP.

He said the team felt the former military president should be briefed about the efforts they are making to get a consensus presidential candidate that will face that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s election.

“We took him through what we are doing. This is part of what we call solution providing. We are trying to provide a solution to the political process because we want to ensure that it is smooth, it is not rancorous and it leads to a better Nigeria at the end of the day,” he said.