Alleged dishonour of the former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), during his 75th Birthday by Governor Sani Bello of Niger state has caused disquiet and murmurings among members of All Progressive Congress (APC) and Niger State in general.
The governor attracted the anger of Nigerlites by not attending the 75th birthday ceremony of the former leader of Nigeria, who is also an indigene of Niger State.
While some people who spoke on the incident read political meaning to the governor’s unfavourable disposition towards the Babangida family, others attributed the no-love-lost between IBB and Bello’s government to what transpired during the days of the late Mamman Vatsa and Babangida as military Head of State.
The Director of Protocol Government House, Haruna Vatsa, is the son while the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, is the younger brother to late Mamman Vatsa, who was implicated in the coup during the Babangida administration.
Our correspondent gathered that though all arrangements were made for the governor to attend Babangida’s birthday as advance party were already there, the interest of the two Vatsas who are part of the strong pillars to his administration became an issue.
But some APC members who spoke on the recent developments between the parties had argued that it was wrong for the governor to disrespect Babangida over an issue that many Nigerlites of today knew nothing about.
Whatsoever is between the Bello and IBB family should not be an issue that will make him (Governor) disrespect him because he is an elderly man and as the saying goes, respect elders so that you will in your own time be respected. We are talking about the image of Niger State here, the APC member said.
“Babangida is an elder statesman. We are hearing that he treated Babangida the way he did because of the father of the Director of Protocol but it is the image of the party and government that is at stake here”, the party member who would not want his name in print said.
According to him, “Because of what the Governor is doing many people are beginning to say bad things about APC. Some even call the party all manner of names and they see the Governor as a very arrogant and disrespectful person and many of our members are not happy with him”.
To further demonstrate existing cold war between the present administration and the IBBs, our correspondent also learnt the Press Secretary to the Governor’s wife who is said to have facilitated the meeting between some journalists and Babangida prior to his 75th birthday celebration was ‘cautiously and stealthily’ warned to watch her steps.