In a rare, deeply personal interview, former Nigerian Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), opened up about the defining moments of his military and political career – from the 1976 coup attempt, the Nigerian Civil War, to the controversial June 12, 1993 annulled election.
IBB, as he is widely known, recalled how he was thrust into action on the day of the February 13, 1976 coup that claimed the life of then Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed. “I was being looked for at the Army Headquarters. When I finally got there, I was told by the Chief of Army Staff to go and ‘flush out’ the coup plotters. I quickly mobilized my troops from E.A. Barracks, and thankfully, they were loyal,” he recounted.
He also reflected on his experience during the Nigerian Civil War in 1967, calling it one of the most emotional moments of his career. “I found myself in battle against friends I had trained with. That was touching. But duty came first,” he said.
Babangida rose to power on August 27, 1985, after a bloodless coup. He said his decision to lead was not impulsive. “We had consultations across board – civilians, military, everyone. The country was tired. There was frustration in society,” he said.
One of his most debated policies was the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) introduced in 1986. IBB maintained it was necessary:
“We told Nigerians from day one—it would be tough. But it was designed to fix the economy. It worked. Today, some of our richest business leaders and industrialists emerged from that era.”
He admitted, however, that he may have overestimated Nigerians’ resilience. “When the riots broke out, I realized we had pushed people to the edge. But we stood our ground,” he said.
On the issue of the June 12, 1993 election annulment, widely believed to be won by Chief MKO Abiola, Babangida said the decision was taken to prevent a worse crisis.
“I wanted him to win. MKO was my friend. But intelligence reports showed the military was divided. If we went ahead, it could have turned into a bloody, tribal war. I chose the country over personal friendships.”
He said the controversial “Interim National Government” was intended to calm tensions and allow for fresh elections within six months, but the backlash was overwhelming.
“People don’t realize how fragile Nigeria was then. We had succeeded with a peaceful coup in 1985—we didn’t want to trigger a bloody one in 1993,” he added.
IBB also reminisced about reforms he carried out immediately after assuming power:
“We released detained journalists, reversed draconian decrees, created new states, and opened up the economy.”
He insisted that history would be kind to him, especially for laying the foundation for Nigeria’s economic liberalization and democratic transition.
As the conversation closed, he affirmed:
“We had no personal gain in mind. We wanted to hand over a more stable, less coup-prone Nigeria. We tried to protect the nation—even when it hurt us politically.”
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