Babangida’s Bloodstained Legacy and the Shameless Celebration of a Tyrant By Nigerian Leaders & Elites

By Mayor of Fadeyi

Nigeria’s history is littered with betrayals, but few are as despicable and damaging as the one committed by General Ibrahim Babangida when he annulled the freest and fairest election in our nation’s history. In his latest book, the former dictator finally admitted what Nigerians have known for decades—Chief MKO Abiola won the 1993 presidential election. This truth, which he cowardly withheld for years, came at the cost of thousands of lives, the destruction of our democratic process, and the untimely death of Abiola himself.

Yet, instead of outrage, what do we see? Applause. Adulation. A disgraceful showering of N17 billion from Nigeria’s elite, rewarding a man who plunged the country into darkness. The same political and business class that has fed fat off the blood and suffering of the Nigerian people lined up like spineless sycophants to throw money at a fraudulent “library” for a man who has no use for books, let alone truth.

This grotesque spectacle of hypocrisy is an insult to the memory of MKO Abiola and all those who lost their lives fighting for democracy. It is a reminder that in Nigeria, criminals are called statesmen while true heroes rot in unmarked graves.

The Cost of Babangida’s Betrayal

Let us be clear—General Ibrahim Babangida is not just a failed leader; he is a man who should be standing trial for treason and manslaughter. His decision to annul the 1993 election was not just an abuse of power; it was a deliberate and calculated act of treason against the Nigerian people. He organized the election, saw Abiola win in a landslide, and then destroyed it out of cowardice—fear of General Sani Abacha and other military hardliners who threatened his life. A soldier? A general? No, Babangida was a spineless coward who lacked the courage to do what was right.

His cowardice led to a political crisis that resulted in:

1. The brutal dictatorship of Sani Abacha, who took control after Babangida’s abdication, plunging Nigeria into one of its darkest periods.
2. The unlawful imprisonment and eventual death of MKO Abiola, who was denied his mandate and left to rot in prison under suspicious circumstances.
3. The deaths of thousands of Nigerians, including pro-democracy activists, journalists, and students, who were murdered, tortured, or exiled for demanding their right to vote.
4. A generational setback to Nigeria’s democracy, ensuring that decades later, we are still dealing with corrupt leaders who see elections as mere rituals rather than a reflection of the people’s will.

Babangida’s betrayal was not just political; it was deeply personal. MKO Abiola was his friend. It was Babangida who encouraged Abiola to run for office, yet when Abiola won, he stabbed him in the back, arrested him, and sentenced him to a slow, painful death in prison.

The Writer’s Personal Experience with Babangida’s Tyranny

For me, this is not just history—it is personal. I was arrested and detained for weeks by the wife of this same General Babangida in 1992 for daring to organize a seminar on ‘The Role of Women in the 3rd Republic’ in Abuja. At the time, I was part of an enlightenment campaign pushing for the democracy that Babangida himself had promised, not knowing he was simply dribbling Nigerians like a pathetic Maradona wannabe.

While I sat in detention, I realized the full extent of Babangida’s deception. He never intended to hand over power. He was simply manipulating the nation, buying time, and enriching himself. The press once called him ‘The Evil Genius,’ but the only genius I will ever concede to Babangida is his masterful ability to manipulate Nigerians. And as we can see from the disgraceful events surrounding his book launch, the wily dictator is still doing it even today.

Who Are The Billionaires Funding This Villain?

Instead of facing trial, Babangida is being celebrated like a statesman. Who are the shameless billionaires and political figures who donated billions to this former dictator? Who are the men and women enriching a legacy of bloodshed and treachery?

We call on international anti-corruption bodies, human rights organizations, and global watchdogs to investigate these individuals and their businesses. Many of them are direct beneficiaries of Babangida’s corrupt military rule, securing government contracts, oil blocks, and power through his oppressive regime. Let them be exposed.

The Cowards and Hypocrites Applauding Babangida

Even more disgraceful than the billionaires funding Babangida’s fraudulent legacy are the so-called political leaders who are whitewashing his crimes.

• President Bola Tinubu—who himself was once arrested and exiled by Babangida for opposing military rule—attended the book launch, smiling and shaking hands with his former oppressor. Is this how cheaply Nigerian politicians sell out?
• Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, did not call for justice, but instead called Babangida a “statesman.” A statesman? A man who annulled democracy, arrested its winner, and caused the deaths of thousands?
• Other former rulers, military men, and “elder statesmen” lined up to hail Babangida as a patriot when he is nothing but a tyrant whose hands are soaked in Nigerian blood.

This is the real tragedy of Nigeria—that criminals are called heroes while true heroes are buried without justice.

What Must Be Done?

We, the Nigerian people, must demand the following:

1. General Ibrahim Babangida must be put on trial for treason and manslaughter. He knowingly annulled the election and perverted the will of the people, which led directly to MKO Abiola’s death. His admission of the annulment should be enough evidence for a formal prosecution.
2. The N17 billion raised for his fraudulent library should be seized and given as reparations to the Abiola family. Abiola’s children lost their father, and Nigeria lost a leader. They deserve compensation, not Babangida’s fake legacy project.
3. The billionaires and corporations who donated to Babangida must be investigated. How did they make their money? How many of them stole from Nigeria under his rule?
4. The politicians who attended his book launch must be held accountable. Let them explain why they chose to celebrate a man who destroyed democracy rather than demand justice.
5. The international community must take a stand. Babangida should not be allowed to enjoy his wealth and stolen honor while his victims rest in unmarked graves. The International Criminal Court (ICC) and human rights organizations must step in where Nigerian institutions have failed.

Babangida’s Cowardice Will Not Be Forgotten

General Ibrahim Babangida may be in his final years, but history will remember him not as a statesman, but as a coward, a betrayer, and a man who destroyed the future of a nation out of fear. He was a general who feared his own soldiers. A leader who sabotaged democracy to save his own skin. A friend who betrayed his closest ally.

His book is not a confession; it is an insult. And every Nigerian who still believes in justice must rise to ensure that he is remembered not for the lies in his book, but for the blood on his hands. If the ruling elite chose to have a collective amnesia about the past misdeeds of this dictator because of their common history of musical chairs as they took turns to mismanage the nation as a class, we at Naija Lives Matter certainly have not forgotten.

This fight is not over. Until justice is served, Babangida’s legacy will be one of disgrace

My name is Ope Banwo, The founder of Naija Lives Matter and The self-styled Mayor Of Fadeyi. I say a big ‘Shior!’ to all who gathered to celebrate a tyrant that single-handedly derailed Nigeria’s trajectory to greatness out of cowardice, fear, and pure wickedness. Who knows where Nigeria would be today if Abiola had been allowed ot exercise the national mandate given to him from the North, South, East, and West?