By our reporter/ Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), Nigeria’s former military president on Friday explained why he annulled the June 12 general election
considered by most Nigerians as the freest and fairest poll in the country’s history.
Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was widely believed to be leading when the election was annulled.
Babangida who spoke on Arise TV on Friday, explained that if he had not annulled the election, a violent coup d’etat would have occurred.
“If it materialised, there would’ve been a coup d’etat which could have been violent. That’s all I can confirm,” he said.
“It didn’t happen thanks to the engineering and the ‘maradonic’ way we handled you guys in the society. But that could’ve given room for more instability in the country.”
According to him, the pressure was from both within the military and outside the military.
“Both. The military can do it because they have the weapons to do it, and others (civil society groups) can use agitation,” Babangida said.
On how he acquired the nicknames of “evil genius” and “Maradona”, the former head of state said the sobriquets were manufactured by the media because of his “deft political moves”.
“That’s the very good thing about the Nigerian media and Nigerian people, you have to anticipate them. If you anticipate them then you live well with them. They call me ‘evil genius’, I marvel at that. The contradiction — you can’t be evil and then a genius,” he said.
“The definition of Maradona I got from the media is because of deft political moves. That’s the way the media described it.”
Speaking on corruption in the country, Babangida believe corruption in Nigeria is worse under civilian leaders than under military rulers.
According to him, people who steal public money under civilian administrations are on the streets walking free, noting that as military head of state, he sacked a governor for misappropriating less than N313,000.
Military leaders, he said, are saints in that regard, compared to what is happening under the democratic dispensation.
He said, “Well on that, you can’t compare it with the facts on the ground now. You can say it. From what I read, from analysis, I think we are saints when compared to what is happening under a democratic dispensation.
“I sacked a governor for misappropriating less than N313,000.
“Today, those who have stolen billions and are in court are now parading themselves on the streets. Who else is better in fighting corruption?”
The former military head of state blamed politicians for disunity in the country.
He said there was a time in the country when people held positions in regions outside their ethnicity, adding that the present crop of politicians are not serious about nation building.
“Till today, unfortunately, the political class are not really into this seriously and say how do we build a nation,” he said.
Leave a Reply