IBB’s memoir: A legacy defined by betrayal

In February 2025, former military president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) launched his much-anticipated memoir, A Journey in Service, at a grand event in Abuja. Attended by Nigeria’s political elite and business moguls, the book launch became an occasion for glorifying Babangida’slegacy, despite his role in some of the darkest chapters of Nigerian history. His controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and his administration’s involvement in the death of journalist Dele Giwa remain unresolved stains on Nigeria’s conscience. Yet, the event became a gathering of praise singers rather than an opportunity for critical reflection.

Rather than being a moment of reckoning, the book launch felt like a second assassination of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, whose victory in the June 12 elections was stolen through Babangida’s infamous annulment. The book attempts to sanitise Babangida’s actions and reframe historical events to suit his narrative. This deliberate manipulation of facts is especially evident in his discussion of the annulment, as well as his misleading commentary on the January 1966 coup, which he uses as a distraction to shift blame and divide historical perspectives.

Rewriting history: Babangida’s justification of the June 12 annulment
Babangida’s memoir, A Journey in Service, presents an attempt to reshape history in his favour. He acknowledges that the annulment of the June 12 election was painful but claims that it was a necessary decision for national stability. According to Babangida, the military had intelligence reports suggesting that allowing the election results to stand could have led to chaos. However, this justification lacks credibility when placed against historical facts. The June 12, 1993, election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigerian history, was conducted under the watch of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), led by Professor Humphrey Nwosu. Despite the orderly conduct of the polls and MKO Abiola’s clear victory, Babangida’s regime abruptly annulled the results, plunging the country into a political crisis. At the time, the excuse given was that the election was marred by corruption and irregularities.

However, the real reason—widely known among political observers—was that certain military and political elites, including Babangida himself, feared the consequences of a civilian government under Abiola. In the book, Babangida makes a weak attempt to portray himself as a reluctant dictator who annulled the election out of necessity.

This revisionist account contradicts the overwhelming evidence that his regime deliberately manipulated the political process to retain control. Many Nigerians recall how his administration attempted to transition to civilian rule multiple times, only to sabotage the process when it did not favor his interests.

June 12 as a national tragedy
The annulment of June 12 was not just a political maneuver; it was a national tragedy. It led to widespread protests, repression, and ultimately the death of MKO Abiola in detention under suspicious circumstances. 

Abiola’s crime was insisting on his mandate, a mandate that the Nigerian people freely gave him. In the wake of the annulment, pro-democracy activists were arrested, harassed, and killed. Journalists who criticised the government were targeted. The annulment destroyed any remaining trust in the military’s ability to midwife democracy, eventually leading to the rise of General Sani Abacha’s brutal dictatorship. Babangida’s attempt to downplay this period in his book is not only dishonest but also an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives fighting for Nigeria’s democracy.

The 1966 Coup and national unity
One notable aspect of Babangida’s memoir is his acknowledgment that the January 15, 1966, coup was not an Igbo coup, contrary to decades of divisive narratives. This recognition helps dispel a long-standing misconception that fueled ethnic tensions and contributed to Nigeria’s tragic civil war. The coup, led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and other young officers, was not ethnically driven but a response to political instability.

By affirming this, Babangida inadvertently supports national unity, reinforcing the need for a collective understanding of history that fosters reconciliation rather than division. Acknowledging historical truths strengthens Nigeria’s path toward cohesion and progress.

Reactions to Babangida’s Memoir
Since the release of A Journey in Service, the book has sparked widespread outrage, particularly among pro-democracy advocates and Igbo leaders. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, has dismissed Babangida’scommentary on the 1966 coup as opportunistic. According to the group, Babangida’s sudden interest in correcting historical narratives is suspect, given his role in deepening Nigeria’s ethnic divisions through policies that marginalised the Igbo and other groups.Femi Falana, a prominent human rights lawyer, has criticized Babangida’s attempt to whitewash history. Falana argues that Babangida’s own words in the book serve as evidence that the June 12 election was wrongfully annulled.

He has called for legal action to hold Babangida accountable for the illegalities of his regime. Other political commentators have noted that Babangida’s memoir reflects the same cunning that earned him the nickname “Evil Genius.” Rather than offering a genuine reflection, the book is a calculated effort to control the narrative of Nigerian history.

The danger of revisionist history
Babangida’s book raises an important question: Who gets to write history? In Nigeria, where military leaders have dominated governance for decades, historical narratives are often shaped by those who held power. The danger of revisionist history is that it distorts the truth, absolves wrongdoers, and prevents a nation from learning from its past. 

For years, Nigeria has struggled with the ghosts of its past—corrupt leadership, ethnic tensions, and democratic failures. If the country is to move forward, it must confront the truth, not rewrite it. Babangida’s attempt to recast himself as a misunderstood leader who acted in Nigeria’s best interest is an insult to the countless Nigerians who suffered under his rule.

A legacy of betrayal
The launch of A Journey in Service was a reminder of how Nigeria has failed to hold its leaders accountable. Instead of being a moment of national introspection, it became a festival of praise for a man whose legacy is defined by betrayal.

Babangida betrayed the Nigerian people when he annulled the June 12 election. He betrayed democracy when he chose self-preservation over national progress. He betrayed the press when his regime orchestrated the murder of Dele Giwa. And now, through his memoir, he betrays history by attempting to rewrite it in his favor.

The true test of history is not in the words of those who write it but in the memory of those who lived it. No matter how much Babangida tries to manipulate the past, Nigerians will not forget. The blood of those who fought for democracy, the voices silenced by dictatorship, and the dreams crushed by tyranny will always bear witness to the truth. Babangida may have written A Journey in Service, but history has already written A Journey of Betrayal.
Udenka is social and political analyst at #AfricaVisionAdvancementTrust