Chido Onumah, an
award winning writer/
journalist, and brilliant
writer, wrote a piece
with the above title;
published on Sahara reporters
and various other online pages;
dated March 21, 2013. The writer
demonstrated his ‘retroactiveresentment’
of Gen. Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida; on issues that
have long been settled in the history
of Nigeria.
I chose to respond to this
essay because of the misguided
information targeted at the young
ones of today. On paragraph six,
Chido wrote, “What IBB failed
to mention was his role in the
crisis that led to foisting Obasanjo
on Nigerians. It is important we
deconstruct IBB because we, as
citizens, are central in understanding
his newfound penchant for
democracy and the rule of law.
For those too young to remember
and those who have conveniently
forgotten, IBB was military president
of Nigeria from August 27, 1985,
to August 27, 1993. IBB claimed he
overthrew the Buhari regime for
its highhandedness even though,
as Chief of Army Staff, he was very
much a part of the regime.”
The truth is that IBB is a lover of
Democracy; and with his colleagues
played a crucial role in the
emergence of Obasanjo; IBB boys,
planned the coup that overthrew
Gen. Buhari, and installed IBB as the
President of Nigeria from August
1985, to August, 1993; IBB also
served as Chief of Staff when Buhari
was the Head of State; therefore
there is nothing to deconstruct.
Lies cannot replace truth. I say this
because Chido Onumah’s paragraph
six was an attempt to juxtapose his
paragraph five.
And on that paragraph, he claimed
that, “the media asked IBB why he
orchestrated the return of Obasanjo
to rule Nigeria again in 1999, and
IBB said, the need to save Nigeria
from looming crisis gave rise to
bringing back Obasanjo. We have
to simplify a lot of things without
going back to what happened before;
the emergence of Obasanjo came
about as a result of what happened
in the country; the country was in
a very serious crisis and we had to
find the solution to these problems
and therefore we needed a leader
known in the country, we did not
believe in foisting somebody who
is not known; so, we looked for a
man who has been involved in the
affairs of this country, who held
positions either in the military or
in the cabinet and who has certain
beliefs about Nigeria. Now, all of us
that were trained as armed forces,
there is one belief that you cannot
take away from us; we believe in this
country because this is part of our
training. We fought for this country,
so when you have a situation like
that, you need a leader that has all
these attributes and quite frankly, he
quickly came to mind.”
IBB was right. The “we” as
Nigerians came to find out were
Generals T.Y. Danjuma, Aliyu
Gusau, Mohammed Abdullahi, and
a few others. They first convinced the
then president, Gen. Abdulsalami
Abubakar, to grant Obasanjo (a
convicted coup-plotter) pardon.
That was done. They proceeded
to the Peoples Democratic Party
convention in Jos; and convinced
the leadership that Obasanjo
should be their party presidential
candidate; and they agreed. Do
we blame IBB, and his colleagues;
Definitely-not. The blame must be
placed on PDP leaders, who agreed
to that disfigurement of democratic
infrastructure. They allowed the
military they claim to hate, to foist
Obasanjo, on them. IBB should not
be blamed for telling the media the
truth. Had the politicians said no,
the matter would have been settled.
Chido Onumah continued,
“Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, also
known as IBB, must be a deeplytroubled
man; a retired general
haunted by his past. There is no
other way to explain his constant
attempt to intrude into our national
psyche after ruling the country for
eight inglorious years. The former
military president never misses an
opportunity to show how relevant he
is even though history can’t support
that delusion. The recent merger of
major opposition political parties to
form the All Progressives Congress,
APC, provided a good opportunity
for him.”
The issue of ‘intrusion into our
national psyche after ruling the
country for eight inglorious years’
does not arise because IBB, is still
a Nigerian; a former President
who attends National Council of
States meeting as a member; a BOT
member of Peoples Democratic
Party. The constitution, allows him
the right to go anywhere, speak as
he wishes, provided his actions are
within the confines of the laws of the
land; and he has not broken any yet.
As for showing “how relevant he is
even though history can’t support
that delusion.” Wrong again, history
has shown that IBB is relevant in
Nigeria since he joined the Nigerian
Armed Forces, where he served
with diligence, became a militarypresident-
dictator, stepped aside,
tried to re-enter in 2007 and 2011,
but was ambushed by Obasanjo’s
political improvised-explosivedevice;
and he retired from politics,
in his own terms.
Events since his retirement has
proven his relevance: In 2003,
Dr. Alex Ekwueme went to seek
IBB’s support for his bid to contest
the Presidential elections against
Obasanjo; in 2007 Gen Buhari
went to seek IBB’s support for his
presidential ambition; in 2011,
Buhari and his running mate, the
big-mouthed-pastor, Tunde Bakare,
went to minna, to seek IBB’s blessings
for the elections; and the loquacious
Nuhu Ribadu, followed after them,
despite his illegal-strong-arm tactics
against IBB’s son, when the former
was Chairman of EFCC, yet without
shame, he went; and IBB blessed all
of them, and gave monetary support
too.
On his 72nd birthday celebration,
President Goodluck Jonathan
in his congratulatory message,
praised IBB’s “life of outstanding
accomplishments.” He further said,
“I join your family, numerous friends
and well-wisher to thank Almighty
God for His continued guidance,
protection and provision for you in
the past seventy-two years of a life of
outstanding accomplishments.” And,
the Senate President, David mark
followed with, “as a quintessential
statesman whose leadership
qualities remain a reference point
in contemporary Nigeria…General
Babangida remains a true statesman
and a nationalist who believes in one
indivisible, united, peaceful, and
progressive Nigeria….a man whose
goodwill cuts across ethnic and
religious boundaries.”
Recently, five PDP governors
went to consult, and seek his advice
on matters relating to the currently
situation in the Party. If IBB is not
relevant as Chido Onuma essayed,
then the above occurrences’ must
have happened in Niger Republic;
and the word ‘relevant’ has taken a
different meaning. IBB is relevant
today as he was in the past.
Chido claimed that IBB said,
“When I introduced two party
system, you people said I am a
soldier, now you have seen why I
went for two party system. I am
happy for the emergence of APC. It
is a welcome political development’’,
IBB noted. The self-styled evil genius
has since gone ahead to expand on
his two party theory. Though a
founding member of the ruling
People’s Democratic Party (PDP),
IBB said he had not made up his
mind on the political party to vote
for in 2015, and that he was leaning
toward voting for the APC. “I have
enough time to think and I am
thinking and they will be anxious to
come and see me, he boasted.”
IBB is still in PDP, and will support
the party’s candidate in 2015.
So why did Alhaji Aminu Bello
Masari, former Speaker 2003-2007,
a member of PDP then, who later
joined CPC, and now in APC, along
with Mallam Nasir-leaks El-Rufai, a
former member of PDP, who served
as a minister on same party, and
now in CPC; a man who stole IBB’s
land in Abuja, while as minister,
and allocated same to his wife, pay
a visit to IBB in minna, after the
registration of their new party APC,
If IBB is not relevant? Allah y’ isa.
The truth is that Nigerians crave
for a Two-Party system, and there
seems to be a certain regret amongst
the political actors today that that
Two-Party-Infrastructure, is what
we need in order to have a thriving
democracy; and none with a sense
of history will dream or talk of
Two-Party system without seeing a
vision of IBB manifest; he was the
Architect. The Idea was muted in
a private discussion IBB had with
his then IGP, and later NSA, Alhaji
Muhammadu Gambo, Mni, GCON.
IBB reflected on the Two-Party
system, convened his egg-head
advisers to get the ball rolling. A
political Bureau was established,
amongst them were intellectuals
like; Dr. Tunji Olagunju, Professor
Sam Oyovbaire and Professor Tunde
Adeniran. They were charged with
the responsibility of fashioning
out an acceptable time-table, and
modalities for a vibrant Two-Party
system that will endure. They
made their submission, and their
white paper was further discussed,
and adopted by an inaugurated
committee comprising of eminent
Nigerians: Major General Paul Omu
(Chairman), Brig. Gen. Oladipo
Diya (V. Chairman), Commodore
Ndubisi Kanu, Brig. Gen. AB
Mammam, Air Vice Marshal Nura
Imam, Prof. Ikenne Nzimiro, Prof.
Jonah Elaigwu, Prof. AD Yahaya,
and Alh. Lateefat Okunnu; {source:
Impressions and facts: Nigeria
under General Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida, 1985-1993, Center for
Democratic Development Research
and Training}. Therefore, IBB did
not just impose a Two-Party system,
it was properly planned, a time table
for actualization established and
followed. The result became what
everyone in Nigeria old enough to
know, calls “the freest and fairest
elections” ever held in our country;
and they are correct.
At this point, I must concede that
the annulment was not the best that
could have happened. However,
there are many external intrigues
that led to it which remains classified.
The most important thing is that a
successful election was conducted
without bloodshed under that
regime. If Nigerians want to know
the full disclosure, they should ask
the national assembly to declassify
the records.
Mr chido Onumah, as the late
Afro-beat maestro, Fela Anikulakpo
Kuti, sang, “Teacher don’t teach me
nonsense.” May I suggest that you
don’t feed our unborn generations
‘nonsense’? Keep the truth flying; it
is by telling the truth without name
calling that you earned the laurels
that adorn your walls.
And, to General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida, Mni, GCFR,
I salute you as you celebrate another
year. You once remarked that, Pa
Obafemi Awolowo is the main issue
of discourse in Nigeria because he
was relevant then, and even in death.
Today you have become the ‘issue’
and will continue to be, even after
death; InshAllah.
Amongst your many legacies,
the Two-Party system, with the
game changer called ‘Option A4’
remains what our country needs
in other to save democracy and
its infrastructure. We will always
appreciate your calm and timely
interventions on National issues.