IBB Defends 1985 Coup, Says Buhari, Idiagbon Were Self-Righteous

Gen. Babangida

Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), has revealed the reasons behind the 1985 coup that ousted General Muhammadu Buhari.

In his newly released autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service,’ Babangida described the coup as a response to growing national discontent and worsening conditions.

“By the beginning of 1985, the citizenry had become apprehensive about the future of our country. The atmosphere was precarious and fraught with ominous signs of clear and present danger.

“It was clear to the more discerning leadership of the armed forces that our initial rescue mission of 1983 had largely miscarried,” he wrote.

He accused Buhari and his deputy, Brigadier General Tunde Idiagbon, of isolating themselves from the military and ruling with an authoritarian approach.

“They both posited a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, antagonising the civil populace against the military. Fundamental rights and freedoms were being routinely infringed upon and abused,” Babangida wrote.

“We were supposed to improve their lives and imbue the people with hope for a better future. Instead, we ruled the nation with a series of draconian decrees.

“An administration intended to reflect the collective will of the armed forces as a national institution came to be seen as the private personal autocracy of a stubborn few,” Babangida stated.

He added that economic hardship and rigid policies, such as resorting to barter trade, worsened public dissatisfaction.

“Like most military coups, our leadership change was informed by widespread disquiet among the civil populace. Ordinary people were experiencing severe economic hardship. The general economic and social conditions the people lived under were worsening by the day.

“Essential goods and supplies were scarce. Yet arbitrary controls in all aspects of economic life and an ancient resort to barter in international trade meant that the nation’s financial woes would not end soon,” he wrote.

Babangida noted that as Chief of Army Staff, he was under pressure from junior officers to act, as internal military divisions threatened national stability.

“This tense atmosphere culminated in the unanimous decision of a broad spectrum of senior and middle-level officers to change the nation’s leadership.

“The processes associated with this change were completed without bloodshed by midnight on August 26, 1985,” Babangida stated.