In his recently-launched autobiography titled ‘A Journey In Service’, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former military head of state, said Muhammadu Buhari, his then predecessor, was overthrown because he was dissatisfied with Buhari’s policies and leadership styles.
Before staging a military coup and ousting Buhari on August 26, 1985, Babangida was his predecessor’s Chief of Army Staff at the time.
“On that day, it became my lot to step into the saddle of national leadership on behalf of the Nigerian armed forces. The change in leadership had become necessary as a response to the worsening mood of the nation and growing concern about our future as a people. All through the previous day, as we flew from Minna and drove through Lagos towards Bonny Camp, I was deeply reflecting on how we as a nation got to this point and how and why I found myself at this juncture of fate,” IBB said in his book.
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“By the beginning of 1985, the citizenry had become apprehensive about the future of our country. The atmosphere was precarious and fraught with ominous signs of clear and present danger. It was clear to the more discerning leadership of the armed forces that our initial rescue mission of 1983 had largely miscarried. We now stood the risk of having the armed forces split down the line because our rescue mission had largely derailed. If the armed forces imploded, the nation would go with it, and the end was just too frightening to contemplate.
“Divisions of opinion within the armed forces had come to replace the unanimity of purpose that informed the December 1983 change of government. In state affairs, the armed forces, as the only remaining institution of national cohesion, were becoming torn into factions; something needed to be done lest we lose the nation itself. My greatest fear was that division of opinion and views within the armed forces could lead to factionalisation in the military. If allowed to continue and gain root, grave dangers lay ahead.”
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Babangida described Buhari’s military leadership as one filled with draconian decrees that encouraged the abuse of Nigerians and the severe limitation of what was supposed to be their basic rights.
Babangida went on to assume office as Nigeria’s military leader after the coup.
‘I KNEW BABANGIDA WAS PLANNING TO OVERTHROW ME’
In a 2014 interview, Buhari said he was aware Babangida was planning to overthrow his government but chose not to take any action in preventing him from doing so.
“Yes, it is true that I learnt Babangida was planning a coup against me. And I sat and discussed it with him in my office. He was the chief of army staff and I was the head of state,” said Buhari.
“He brought the news that he went to Kano and people complained that I pulled a pistol during a council meeting. I had never heard that before, except a newspaper cartoon I saw many, many years ago about Mengistu Haile Mariam (former Ethiopian head of state).
“They were just making up stories. I said Ibro ─ I called him Ibro because I was just senior to him by a few months ─ I said whoever wants to sit on this chair let him come and sit here. And he decided to do it.”
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When Buhari was asked if he regretted not taking any action against Babaginda before the coup was executed, he said:
“Taking action pre-empting and jailing or killing people does not solve the problem.
“But let people honestly now, as you said, those who are bothered about Nigeria, let them ask now: what did I attempt to do for the time Babangida and his group allowed me to stay and what did they do in his eight years in office [sic]?
“I told you about the naira and the dollar, and the IMF programme. What did they do? They wanted to impress the world? The naira was devalued by about 122 percent. We have never recovered. Go and ask any economist.
“When you devalue a currency, it can never recover. Some of the politicians that were jailed for corruption, they were released and their loot was returned to them by Babangida. So it’s a big joke. That means I was there then before my time.”
Babangida went on to rule Nigeria for eight years and his time in office was filled with cases and instances of human rights abuses, arrests, corruption, assassinations, embezzlement of government funds up to the tune of $12 billion and executions.
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