Stirring the Hornets’ Nest with Babangida’s Memoir

Last Thursday, former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida unveiled his memoir, which has generated a lot of reactions. While some praised him for saying his side of the story, others didn’t spare him. Adedayo Akinwale reports.

Ever since the launch of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service,’ a floodgate of reactions have continued to pour in from Nigerians following his admission that Chief Moshood Abiola won the June 12, 1993 Presidential poll.

Even before admitting the obvious truth, former President Muhammadu

Buhari had in 2018, directed that Democracy Day should be marked every year on June 12, rather than May 29, in honour of late MKO Abiola.

He also conferred Abiola with the highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) posthumously, in recognition of him as a former president.

The GCFR is reserved for the President. Also, Kingibe, who was recognised as vice president received the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON) which is reserved for Vice Presidents.

Right at the venue of the unveiling of Babangida’s book, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had prepared Babangida’s mind on what to expect when the book hits the streets.

Obasanjo who has written several books told Babangida to expect the good, bad and ugly reactions to his book. He urged him not to be dejected as it was an indication that people are reading the book, which was the main idea of writing it in the first place.

Obasanjo stated: “Please don’t be unduly worried about critics and put him down syndrome. The book will be reviewed, read, quoted, praised and lambasted, and some will agree with you in part, and some will disagree with you in part, some may even wholly disagree with you.

“Why should you write the book? It is self glorification, they will say. Controversy may even develop. It’s all good for you and good for the book and for our nation building process.

“The more praised and condemned the book is, the better, because it means that it is being read, and that is what you write a book for, to be read. That is what justifies the discipline and effort that go into writing a book, which I strongly believe this book is.

“Please don’t be unduly worried about critics and put him down syndrome. It may even be an indication of success, but take note of objective criticism.

“A chronic critic of mine, the late Dr Tunji Braithwhite, may his soul rest in perfect peace, condemned a book of mine, and when asked if he had read it, he answered in the negative. He said he had not read it, and said that once the writer is Obasanjo, it must be condemned.”

As predicted by Obasanjo, some have praised the book while some have lambasted it. Some people were of the view that Babangida, a self-styled ‘Maradona’ had to wait till this time so that major actors mentioned in his book, who are already dead, won’t have the chance to defend their actions or respond to whatever accusations leveled against them in his book.

President Bola Tinubu, during the book launch said Babangida showed unusual courage and patriotism by admitting that the late Abiola won the presidential poll.

He described the annulment as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic history, stressing that the former leader’s admission about Abiola’s victory will help to set the record straight.

Commenting on the book, constitutional lawyer and rights activist, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged Nigerians to accept Babangida’s public expression of remorse over the annulment of the presidential election.

Ozekhome in a statement he personally signed called on Nigerians to let the wounds heal, their hearts melt, and the spirit of national triumphalism prevail.

He praised Babangida for having the courage and humility to publicly acknowledge the wrongs that took place under his watch as president, emphasising that it takes a strong man to admit past mistakes and seek forgiveness.

He was of the opinion that the annulment of June 12 was a traumatic event for Nigeria, leading to turmoil, protests, killings, and the eventual arrest and detention of Abiola.

Ozekhome recalled that the move resulted in years of uncertainty, but Babangida’s confession now offers a chance for national healing.

He saluted Babangida for his honesty, saying, it takes immense courage to admit wrongdoings and offer a public apology for the pain caused to an entire nation.

“For years, Babangida maintained that the annulment was in the national interest. But now, after decades of reflection, he has acknowledged the tragedy of June 12 and the harm it caused. I have personally forgiven him, as it takes great strength to confess one’s sins and seek atonement”, Ozekhome added.

Weighing in on the matter, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) in a statement by its President, Debo Adeniran, said it received with heavy heart the admission of the infamous June 12 notorious fact by the former military ruler.

He said Babangida’s belated public confessions regarding his role in the illegal annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was an attempt to hoodwink the unwary Nigerians to believe that the mischievous dictator actually meant well by the brazen sociopolitical and moral assault he unleashed on them by the inglorious act.

Adeniran said although Nigerians  had viewed the June 12 election as being an unfair exercise, going by all the shenanigans that preceded the election.

These, he said, included; prevention of willing political associations from transmuting to political parties; creating political parties for politicians; banning, unbanning of eligible politicians from contesting in the election; the creation of political structures, programmes and manifestos for politicians and imposition of alien ideological leanings on Nigerians.

Adeniran, without mincing words emphasised that Babangida’s belated admission was not only an affront to the principles of democracy and justice but also a clear acknowledgment of his direct involvement in an act that plunged Nigeria into years of political turmoil, civil unrest, loss of lives and property and inestimable economic hardship.

He said it should, therefore, be regarded as a coup d’état to the administration of M.K.O Abiola who was robbed in broad daylight and denied the opportunity of savouring his well-deserved victory at the polls.

To this end, Adeniran called on Tinubu to immediately order the prosecution of Babangida for crimes against humanity and for orchestrating a coup d’état that subverted the democratic will of the Nigerian people.

According to him, this prosecution should not be difficult since the chief plotter has confessed to these crimes in public and in writing as published in his bloody book that could have been ‘A Journey into Perdition’ mistitled ‘A Journey in Service’.

In her intervention, daughter of the late MKO Abiola and Kudirat Abiola, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, said for those that kept expressing doubt that Nigerians had spoken so decisively on that day, she was glad that Babangida’s admission that her father won the election can now lay the matter to rest.

She emphasised that the importance of June 12 goes beyond them, as it represents the collective hope of Nigerians for a better and more united country.

Castello noted that Abiola might have been the symbol of the Hope ’93 campaign, but June 12 was about more than one man, it was about the promise of Nigeria that would deliver for Nigerians.

Expressing her disappointment over the annulment, she described it as an unjust action that cut short a historic moment.

She stressed that it was sad that such a galvanising statement as the breakthrough vote for MKO would have been truncated by an unjust annulment.

On his part, a former chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, questioned why Babangida waited until all members of the 1993 Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) had died before portraying himself as a “passenger” in the decision to annul the June 12 presidential election.

He criticised Babangida for allegedly fabricating accusations against deceased figures while presenting himself as a “victim” of history.

Odinkalu argued that Babangida’s failure to provide corroborating evidence for claims made in his book, especially regarding the annulment of the June 12 election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll—damns him further.

He wrote: “Ibrahim Babangida’s book is filled with allegations against dead men and women. He waited until they were all dead, leaving no one alive to challenge him. He portrays himself as a victim of these deceased figures, which only further damns him as lacking in character.”

He further criticised Babangida for not producing any contemporaneous records, minutes, or notes to support his claims, calling him “The Grand Commander of the Order of Cowardice.”

“How was someone so devoid of character and values allowed to dominate Nigeria’s military-political landscape for so long?” Odinkalu asked, referencing Babangida’s role in orchestrating coups and installing military rulers like Sani Abacha.

On his part, Founder, Stanbic IBTC, Atedo Peterside, wrote on his verified X handle: “IBB admitting in 2025 that MKO Abiola won June 12 presidential election in 1993, is as significant as him admitting that night follows the day. Are we supposed to clap because he told the truth after three decades? Am I missing something?”

As more people lay their hands on the book to read, Babangida should expect more reactions, be it praise or condemnation.