Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) continues to face criticism following the launch of his autobiography, A Journey in Service, particularly over his role in annulling the historic 12 June 1993 presidential election.
During a radio programme, Public Conscience, produced by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), on Wednesday in Abuja, the Executive Director, Mr. Okhiria Agbonsuremi and participants joined the list of commentators who have picked holes in Babangida’s memoir.
On the annulment of the June 12 elections, Agbonsuremi decried Babangida’s lack of boldness to announce Chief Moshood Abiola winner, saying that the content of the book shows that the former military president was not the strongman citizens thought he was, but instead portrays him more as a coward.
He condemned Babangida’s acceptance of responsibility for cancelling the election without profusely apologising to millions of citizens who were negatively affected by the crisis that ensued due to the election annulment and the ensuing human rights abuses.
Agbonsuremi said: ‘Surprisingly, the content of Babangida’s book revealed that he was not the strong man that everybody had thought he was. The book has revealed you can actually describe him as a coward, somebody who could not stand up as a military president to tell his colleagues this is what he wants. The account showed that the man was not as strong as we thought, not the Superman we thought.
‘It was very clear from his own account that he was held by the Jugular, and he was scared for his life. He was not as strong as we thought he was. He was not bold enough to sacrifice his life to pursue what he believed in, and the transition programme that had taken so many years, which started from 1986 – 1993, he couldn’t stand up.
‘Regrettably, Babangida takes responsibility for his actions but didn’t apologise for his deeds.
‘So many people died because of the 12 June election annulment. I would have thought that in the first paragraph of Babangida’s book, he should have just said, look, I take responsibility, I am sorry, I regret it, and I will live the rest of my life in atonement because he was the one responsible’.
He advised that President Bola Tinubu must divest himself from the current system stalling national development if he wants to make a difference, adding that the former Lagos State governor is the only one who can call political bigwigs in the country and say, “Enough is enough; Let’s reorganise the system”‘.
‘The current president has 12 June and NADECO (National Democratic Coalition) in his blood. It will be very difficult for him to change the system unless he divests himself from it. Unfortunately, Tinubu is embedded in the system.
“But a leader who wants to really act will put his feet down to act. Leadership is a big issue in Nigeria today because the President is the only person who can call the stakeholders together and say ‘enough is enough,’ let us change the system’, he said.
Agbonsuremi identified Nigerian leaders’ lack of accountability as a major problem that has come of age while calling on citizens to quit being docile or get weary of pushing for a better nation through organised, peaceful protests and marches.
Listeners who called into the programme voiced their frustration and disappointment with Babangida’s book, especially with the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
An Abuja resident, who identified himself as Gideon, said: ‘What got me worried was the rejection of the first proper elections, and an innocent man was killed at the end. Abiola died without sitting on that seat. It’s unfortunate, but aside from that, have we learned? Look at INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission), they do whatever pleases them; it’s unfortunate’.
Another caller simply known as Peter from Lugbe Abuja said: ‘The book by Babangida is disappointing. I was 13 in 1992, in JSS 2, and I took to the streets to celebrate Abiola’s victory. It’s very shameful’.
Moses from Wuse II Abuja said: ‘Nothing is exciting about the book. Babangida brought us into this mess that we are today, and many lives were destroyed under him. He has done more harm. He would have used his office to work on Nigeria. He was very weak, so he couldn’t even win primaries under PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) when he said he wanted to come back as president’.
Oreke from Abuja said: ‘Babangida is not honest with us. What he wrote in that book is not what actually happened. He needs to apologize to Nigerians’.
A former Chairman of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu had also lampooned the book, describing the former military ruler as the ‘Grand Commander of the Order of Cowardice’.
Other prominent Nigerians who had condemned Babangida’s autobiography included human rights lawyer. Mr. Femi Falana, and the families of the late Abiola and General Sani Abacha.
Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio programme, PRIMORG that draws the government’s and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
It runs in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation.
