2023: Babangida says ideal Nigerian President must be a good communicator, not old

▪︎Speaks on why he did not remarry

Former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) said that he would not back an old person for the 2023 presidency.

The former military ruler had in an interview in August 2021 said that he would not support anyone above seventy years for the presidency.

However, IBB in a recent interview with Daily Trust listed more conditions any politician contesting for the 2023 presidency must meet to get his support.

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Aside from the age factor, IBB stressed that the country’s next president must be a very good communicator.

He noted that Nigeria’s President should be able to engage people on any issue concerning the country.

He said: “He should be able to communicate because a president should be able to walk into a group of people and talk to them on issues concerning Nigeria; not all the time but most of the time.

“He must have somebody he knows in every part of the country. It is not a tall order.

“You could limit it to states, you could limit it to local governments even to the wards if you can, but somebody such that once you hear the name, it is somebody you will say, yes, I have heard that name before either in the country or in his profession; if he is a doctor, a journalist or whatever, all areas, we have heard the name before; okay then I will make an effort to know more about him.”

When asked if he saw such a person among the current political office holders such as governors, ministers and others, he said: “Well I believe the process will take care of that.

“Within the process, of those people you mentioned now, there are people who could fit into this category and I believe the process can take care of that.”

The former President also disclosed the reason he had not taken another wife since the death of his wife, Hajiya Maryam Babangida.

Maryam Babangida died on December 27, 2009, at the age of 61.

Since her death over 12 years ago, many Nigerians had thought that IBB would take another wife to keep him company but that has not happened to date.

But when asked during the latest interview why he had not taken another wife many years after the death of Hajiya Maryam, IBB said: “No, I didn’t do it, you would have known. The media still snoop around me, they should have known. I haven’t. It is a matter of choice; I decided to honour her by not being a bachelor but being unmarried.”