Babangida’s confessional memoir: X-raying military leadership in Nigeria

The mid-February launching in Abuja of “A Journey In Service”, the memoirs of the former military President of Nigeria, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly called IBB, was a remarkable event. The attendance of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the incumbent President of Nigeria, accompanied by several ex-Presidents of West African nations including two former elected Nigerian leaders […]

The mid-February launching in Abuja of “A Journey In Service”, the memoirs of the former military President of Nigeria, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, popularly called IBB, was a remarkable event. The attendance of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the incumbent President of Nigeria, accompanied by several ex-Presidents of West African nations including two former elected Nigerian leaders and the delivery of the keynote address by Ghana’s immediate past leader Nana Akufo-Addo ensured the distinction of the occasion.  In addition, the commentary on the contents of the book, delivered by Nigeria’s immediate past Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was a highly enlightening contribution, which most likely made many listeners look forward to reading it. Retired General Obasanjo, one-time Commander in Chief and both military Head of State and two-term elected President of Nigeria delivered a humorous and profoundly cautionary address, which he said had been meant to be delivered in his absence. He prophesied that reactions of readers would include extraordinarily controversial views and very critical assumptions and warned Babangida to be very prepared for negative opinions expressed even by people whose views he might respect. Since the launching, he has already been proven right, but a careful reading of this very comprehensive account of his service to his nation portrays IBB as a patriotic soldier for whom national leadership was not just a task but also an adventure.

The initial chapters of the book are made up of revelatory narratives of IBB’s youthful perceptions of life. As a naïve young child and later as an impressionable adolescent secondary student, he was attracted to the military profession by the example of some young men from the Northern Nigerian community prominent among whom was then Captain Yakubu Gowon.  Influenced by a visit to his school by the young Captain Gowon, he registered to be recruited in the new national army as soon as he graduated from Bida Government Secondary School.  It is not therefore surprising that very early in the substantial story, IBB’s experience in Nigeria’s Civil War when the Commander-In-Chief was then Colonel, later General, Gowon provided the basis for his conception of the role and purpose of the military institution in nation-building. It will be obvious to readers of this work who approach the narrative objectively that Ibrahim Babangida always tried to inculcate principles of discipline and regulatory efficiency from his seniors when he was a young officer. This is symbolised by an incredible anecdote about his heroic unarmed confrontation with the coup-maker Lt. Col. Dimka on the direction of his mentor Lt, General T.Y Danjuma. The transitional process of conversion of the Armed Forces of post-colonial Nigeria led to the transformation of the professional values of most officers as the role of the military metamorphosed from security to governance and they had to learn how to accommodate the process. This extraordinary eventuality is the fundamental core of the Babangida memoir, and makes it not only exciting but also very revelatory reading. Many of the incidents and events that are narrated have achieved public notoriety especially in Nigeria, but when told by the most important protagonist, they are seen from an unusual perspective, and when read in a more personalised circumstance, they take on new relevance. The extended rationalisation of the June 12th annulment of the Presidential election of Chief M.K.O. Abiola, which is the subject of one of the longest chapters in the book is one such event, and one of the shortest and most painfully narrated chapters about the execution of one of his best friends, Major General Vatsa for a coup that was supposedly only thought of.

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It is touching to report that among the most heartfelt and profoundly expressed sentiments in this work is IBB’s description of his marriage to his late wife Maryam. The insertion of this tale in this memoir in the way that it is done enables the reader to evaluate the impact of public life on the conduct of an individual. It is clear that IBB was a leader created by unstable circumstances and as such, he could be considered a victim as well as a beneficiary of the post-colonial politics of Nigeria. While he makes a valiant attempt to rationalise the transformational role of his tenure as a national leader in socio-economic terms, it is also sadly obvious that the events that led to the closure of his service as a national leader were not his choice. That reality makes this volume one of tragic historical relevance and value in the understanding of Africa’s modern political reality and the work that the author’s editorial advisers undertook is of exemplary professional viability. As a consequence, although the volume is filled with controversial content, it reads easily and very believably. 

The result is that while many of the events reported in this remarkable record of IBB’s encounter with Nigerian and West African nationalism have been challenged by some disenchanted readers, he remains as Nana Akufo-Addo characterised him, “one of Nigeria’s most enigmatic leaders”. Coming from one of the most vehement opponents of military rule in the region, this was impressive and when President Tinubu on the same platform said, “Without you, people like me might never have entered politics,” the enigma that the autobiography attempts to describe appears to have been unveiled.

Barrett, a public affairs analyst wrote from Abuja