Names on the Cover, Watch Out for 2011 Election's Carpetbaggers

Nigeria's prestigious news magazine, TELL Magazine's cover story is an interesting read. Titled, All the President's Men, by Tajudeen Suleiman NO.35, SEPTEMBER 6, it also gave well researched revelation about some questionable individuals clamouring for President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for the forthcoming 2011 election.
Churning Spades and Spinning Yarn draws excerpts from the magazine.

like Anenih, Mantu was also a prominent member of the pro-third-term group for Obasanjo. He was the chairman of the Natiional Assembly committee that worked on the review of the constitution to accommodate the third-term agenda. he was also in the vanguard of those that supported and mobilised for the late military dictator General Sanni Abacha to succeed himself as civilian president.

The political history of the country is replete with people and associations that have played similar roles in the affairs of the nation. Sometimes,these roles have been quite ignoble. A handy example is the association for Better Nigeria,ABN,set up in the dying days of Ibrahim Babagida's military dictatorship in 1993. The ABN, which was led by a maverick politician Arthur Nzeribe, was used by Babangida to scuttle the June 12,1993 presidential election won by Moshood Abiola, the late business mogul.

The ABN secured a court judgement stopping a court judgement stopping the June 12 presidential election. The judgement was widely reported to have been procured midnight. Though the election was conducted by the military regime of Babangida, which later annulled it thereby denying Abiola the opportunity to take office as president. Nzeribe, the same figure behind the ABN has joined the campaign for jnathan 's presidential bid. Another campaigner is Godwin Daboh who last year suggested that Mrs Turai Yar'Adua be given the opportunity to succeed her husband in office.Daboh was also the president of the "Movement for Abacha for President '98"

Several other groups also emerged ostensibly in support of Abacha to counter the strong opposition from the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, which condemned military rule and asked Abacha to organise election and leave office. The group that readily comes to mind is the Youth Earnestly Ask For Abacha,YEAA,Led by hitherto unknown lad called Daniel Kanu. The group, which was well funded by the government, organised a two-million man march on Abuja during which several persons was well funded by the government,which several persons called Abacha to succeed himself as President.