Abiola, his wife, Kudirat, alongside his many businesses; a NADECO chieftain, Alfred Rewane; business woman Suliat Adedeji and several others were consumed in the political convolution that Babangida’s perfidy set off, which completely engulfed Nigeria.
He ought to be aware that these tragic events can never be wished away merely through a trifle acknowledgement of wrong-doing, but by a major act of seeking national forgiveness, coupled with corresponding acts of reparation; whether financial or otherwise. Nothing less would do”.
A Premium Times Editorial.
My first, and only, meeting with General Ibrahim Babangida was at his opulent hilltop castle in Minna, Niger state, a few years ago in the company of members of the Board of a Federal institution in the state, when we paid him a courtesy call.
Although already hobbled by radiculopathy – a condition he allegedly
got serving Nigeria on the war front – he actually once told a CNN reporter that he still has a bullet lodged in his body. I could not miss his gaiety, affability and charm; all of which were copiously on display. He was winsome and, when the Chairman introduced me as a columnist with The Nation on Sunday, he literally grabbed me, pulling me towards himself for some small talk.
The ever irrepressible charmer!
To know General Babangida, no matter how fleetingly, is to be unwilling to roast him the way many have done since his book launch this past week.
Unfortunately, his gargantuan sins against God and humanity make it absolutely impossible for one to stay on that narrow and straight road. General Babangida offended, not only man, but God.
His story is, therefore, a tragi – comedy – a man so gifted, yet so unremittingly conflicted; that only God in His infinite mercy, not man, can forgive him his many sins against Nigeria and humanity.
Babangida evokes strong emotions. For most, he is the symbol of the country’s tumultuous past, a past marked by nasty militarism, political upheaval, systemic corruption and economic stagnation.
In recent years, however, he has attempted to rebrand himself, coyly seeking redemption, and forgiveness, even if the words “I regret” are too heavy for him; the more reason his efforts are like pouring water on a duck – fruitless.
The catalyst for his latest attempt at transformation was his recent confession, during his book launch, regarding the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
For years, he has denied any involvement in the annulment, but in a surprising turn of events, he publicly acknowledged his role in the gross act.
The admission has sparked a huge national conversation, with many Nigerians grappling with how to process it, especially as he seems too conceited to really, meaningfully, apologise to a nation he has severally trampled upon.
Most commentators have, understandably, taken the retired general to the cleaners while on the other hand, some are willing to see his confession as an act of courage and a willingness to confront the demons of his past as well as take responsibility for his actions though his failure to apologise directly, and fully, rather than take cover under some linguistic razmataz, robbed him of the sympathy of most Nigerians.
In a country where public officials rarely admit to any wrongdoing, Babangida’s acknowledgment of his role in the annulment would have been a refreshing change, were he not unnecessarily too important in his own eyes.
His traducers are, of course, far more skeptical, viewing his confession as a calculated move designed to rehabilitate his image and secure his legacy. They argue that his admission of guilt is too little, too late, and that it does not erase the harm caused by his malevolent actions.
Read Also: June 12: Olanipekun berates Babangida for not apologising to Abiola, family
Also, they argue, Babangida’s role in the annulment of the June 12 election was not an isolated incident. His military regime was marked by widespread human rights abuses, including the suppression of free speech and the detention of political opponents.
In this context, his confession can be seen as an attempt to deflect attention from his broader record, to focus on a single issue, rather than confront the full scope of his torrid actions.
So, how should Nigerians see Babangida post his confession?
The answer is complex.
While his admission of guilt is a step in the right direction, it is only the beginning of a long process of reckoning and accountability.
Ultimately, Nigerians must approach Babangida’s confession with a critical eye, recognizing the extent of his thoroughly inhuman misdeeds, as well as, both the significance of his admission and the limitations of his apology.
By doing so, we can begin to build a more nuanced understanding of our country’s past; one that acknowledges the complexities and contradictions of figures like Babangida. That would, without a doubt, lead us to a fair and just conclusion as to how we believe history will, inevitably, judge him.
One Nigerian who has begun that process, even before the billions – Naira deluge of a book launch and his confession and efette apologies, is Professor Steve Egbo who, a whole 24(2001) years earlier, has written a tome on the general with conclusions that have more than a fair chance of representing the retired general’s epitaph.
With an eye on space constraint then , let us quote Professor Egbo at some length in his book:’Political Soldiering : Africa’s Men on Horseback”, especially pages 84 – 94.
Wrote Egbo: “Many have reacted to Babangida’s so called autobiography. Many more will still react. As a response to his obstinacy and lies, I have decided to produce a brief excerpt from my book, “Political Soldiering : Africa’s Men on Horseback”, published 24 years ago. This will serve as my personal response to Babangida’s false narratives. His attempt to rewrite history in his own image is just a proof of who he is.
How Babangida’s private emotions, ideas and plans were foisted on the nation, how the nation’s resources were subjected to a plethora of abuse and misuse, and how the nation remained exceptionally receptive to para-psychological manipulations for a period of eight years vastly go beyond conventions and traditional wisdom.
For Babangida, politics is not just “the art of the possible”, it is the art of ruling a people through deception, empty promises, lies and intimidation. For him, while politics remain the process by which people compete for the control of the instruments of favor, it must involve “the use of fraud”.
For the smiling General and the perfidious faithlessness he represents, the best politician is a juggler, or better still a sorcerer, full of tricks, inconsistencies, nihilism and misathropy. Babangida saw himself as the Charles De Gaulle of our time.
He believes himself to be a strong man, a man of action with a strong dose of egoism, pride, toughness, and cunning.
This belief best explains the reason why he took Nigeria on a jolly ride for so many years. He told Nigerians that as political nonentities, they must learn the rudiments of democracy at his feet.
It was a long lecture, scheduled to last eight years or till eternity. However, it was a very sad lecture because at the end of it all, Nigeria learnt nothing but lost everything. The energies, the resources and the time channeled therein went down the drain”.
That I believe is how Nigerians should see, and remember, General Ibrahim Babangida, the self – proclaimed “evil genius”, alias Maradona.