A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Thursday said he was not afraid of running against President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar or other contenders in the 2011 presidential election.

Ribadu, who spoke at the 83rd birthday anniversary of a foremost journalist, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, at the Yoruba Tennis Club in Lagos, said those aspiring to the presidency were not better than him.

Speaking on the theme, ‘The Nigeria quagmire: the way forward,’ he lamented that corruption, greed, hypocrisy and dishonesty had continued to dog Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development. He stressed that until there was a radical departure from outdated ways, progress would continue to elude the country.

“There are no better political gladiators than I am. Go and check what I did for the country, you will agree that I want to join the race to cure the ills of the nation.

“I am not joining the race for selfish purpose but to contribute my quota towards the growth and development of our dear country. Nigeria is a great country and it requires honest people to make it realise its potential for the good of all,” he said.

Ribadu, who said he would make a formal declaration in the next two weeks in Abuja, regretted that the wealth of the nation remained in the hands of few people who were not willing to allow others to make progress.

He said, “Corruption is the cankerworm that has eaten deep into the moral fabric of the nation. It has affected every segment of the country’s life.

“Corruption is the reason we cannot get true democracy. The earlier this monster is solved the better for all Nigerians. It is not uncommon to see government officials brandishing wealth with such reckless abandon. People who are supposed to serve the people are busy buying exotic cars; building choice houses and living outlandish lifestyle at the expense of the people who voted them in.

“This is not good for the country and the system has to change for the people to have a new lease of life. Nigerians are not demanding for much: they need good roads, electricity, pipe-borne water, a functional health care system, good education and those things that make life worth living. That is all.”

Ribadu said Nigeria had the potential to be a leading force in the comity of nations if the right things were done. He recalled that as EFCC chairman, he secured 300 convictions and recovered more than N5bn stolen funds.

He also extolled the contributions of Nigerian journalists to the growth of democracy in the country and urged them not to relent in their efforts.

“The media has a great role to play in the country’s drive to get true democracy. I urge the men of the noble profession to rise to the occasion so that usurpers will not seize the country from Nigerians,” he said.

Ribadu also commended Odunewu for contributing immensely to the growth of the journalism profession. He recalled that during Odunewu’s time at the defunct Daily Times, his analytical comments were reference points for government officials.

Ribadu, who said he did not believe in ‘do-or-die politics,’ explained that he joined the presidential race to contribute his quota to the development of the country. He said he believed that through this, he could bring relief to Nigerian youths and other less-privileged persons.

He also urged Nigerian youths to vote wisely in the 2011 elections and not sacrifice their rights for gratification. He decried the situation where the youths and other less-privileged Nigerians were suffering in the midst of plenty.

sayso:

all of a sudden,this man is now so important to this country.NR you do not have the quality to rule this country.chasing some and leaving some criminals is definitely not the quality of a good Nigerian leader.All we have now are just not good enough including you.

He also urged Nigerian youths to vote wisely in the 2011 elections and not sacrifice their rights for gratification. He decried the situation where the youths and other less-privileged Nigerians were suffering in the midst of plenty.

ActiveMan:

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011261194746

vorosmartm:

He recovered only N5bn and he is not ashamed, in a country here money stolen has run into billions of dollars, this is too pathetic

Donfinero:

This man (NR) should go and contest for the governorship of his state, which am not even sure he can win, as for presidency, he still has a very long way to go .

andyanders:

RIBADU IS NOT MATURED TO BE A LEADER

SapeleGuy:

Ribadu has nothing to be afraid of. As they say a man who is already down need not fear any fall.

I'm not surprised at the anti-ribadus comments. They will always find fault. Nevertheless, Ribadu remains the best compared to the rest.

Buhari? "Another Yar'adua" Nope. | IBB? "ahh! ole!" Nope. | GEJ "hmm PDP? corruption moguls" Nope.

Let's flush out PDP before they flush us out. Some Nigerians are so daft. It's unbelievable.

1025:

@mr.official,
if there is anyone daft here, i think you are the man.
if you are yet to understand that ribadu is a joker. he is a pdp or obasanjo's plan B might jonathan fails to make it in the primaries or might the northerners brings more preasure than he can carry, ribadu will be used as a soft landing spot.
ribdau is nothing but a product of nigerian police, a symbol of corruption.
if you are not daft, how can a man who did not change his immediate environment(the nigerian police) change nigeria as a whole.
if you talk abt pdp's corrupt practices, there will not be any form of complete information without ribadu.
ribadu once told nigerians that bode george was corrupt but what happened afterwards? ribadu in 2007 told nigerians that atiku is a criminal and he has been indicted, where has atiku been since then? ribadu once bragged that 31 governors will soon go down, how many went down and how many are still relevant in our society? iyabo obasanjo was on the run under ribadu but what happened? andy uba's money laundary in the usa was tagged civil case by ribadu.
mr.daft, how come siemens scandal, harliburton scandal and other societal scandals that happened under the nose of ribadu went unnoticed?
the cecilia ibrus of this nation all existed under ribadu, what happened? the highest level of embezzlement in the history of nigeria was between 1999 and 2007, what did ribadu do?
N300b ibadan-benin expressways contract - tony annenih, $16b eletricity contract - obasanjo, vincent ogbulafor's scandal was under ribadu, how come ribadu know nothing abt all these?
mr.daft, u were daft, u are daft and u will remain daft.
the problem with many nairalanders is that they get involved in topics where they have nothing to offer and as such will resort to insulting others. what points do u have to make in favour of your ribadu? how can u exonorate ribadu from pdp's corruption when he acts his policeman role in excorting these corrupt men?

debeginin:

The question is:Can Ribadu bring OBJ to Book?What about GEJ?Can Buhari do it?

sayso:

all of a sudden,this man is now so important to this country.NR you do not have the quality to rule this country.chasing some and leaving some criminals is definitely not the quality of a good Nigerian leader.All we have now are just not good enough including you.

Blazay:

What a noisy hornbill.
This man needs to just sharrrap and focus on what he has to offer Nigeria.


Sorry, dude.
The Nigerian youths or otherwise, do not get to vote-in their choices.

Politics in Nigeria is 'selection by back-door concensus'. Scratch my back, I scratch your nyansh.

Kenyata:

@Sayso,

God bless you for that comment! I'm glad we are in the same boat. Obasanjo used Ribadu to selectively punish his political enemies. He was just a stooge. No more, no less. I'm yet to find who I can entrust my future and that of my children with. Some people have the blueprint of how to govern this country progressively. Definitely, Ribadu is not one of them.