How Nigeria appeared to have two presidents before Abacha, Babangida fell apart

by
  • The late military historian Nowa Omoigui documented the power struggle between Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha following the foiled Gideon Orkar coup of 1990
  • Babangida’s newly released autobiography, A Journey in Service, blames “forces by Abacha” for the annulment of the June 12 presidential election in 1993
  • The rivalry between the two generals created the impression of two separate governments before they eventually fell apart

How Nigeria Appeared to Have Two Presidents Before Abacha and Babangida Fell ApartSource: Getty ImagesEarly signs of Abacha’s ambitionsParallel governmentsGeneral Abachas role in saving the Babangida regime in 1990 bought him huge stock, not only with Babangida himself but also with a significant number of other IBB Boys. It marked the beginning of the rise of Sani Abacha and the beginnings of his own independent client network, separate from the umbilical cord that tied him into the maternal Babangida bandwagon. His own independent network would later become known as Abacha Boys, based mainly, but not exclusively, around officers from the Kano area.After a lull during which Babangida was very nervous and lacked confidence, he later resumed the old plan to replace Abacha as Chief of Army Staff. In September 1990, after two batches of executions of Orkar coup convicts had been carried out, Babangida ceded his position as Minister of Defence to General Abacha who was to combine it with his position as Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Some observers feel that an unwritten part of this new arrangement was that Abacha would be left alone to do as he pleased with defence funds while Babangida ran the rest of the government. To crystallize the new space created for General Abacha as the Defence Czar, he stayed behind in Lagos when Babangida moved to the new capital of Abuja in 1991. It was as if the country had two governments.IBB mentions reason for overthrowing Buhari

READ IN FULL ON LEGIT.NG


Tinubu’s minister orders immediate reopening of Lagos bridge to ease traffic
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has ordered the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge in Lagos to ease severe traffic congestion Federal Controller of Works, Olukorede Kesha, confirmed that remedial measures are being implemented to restore vehicular movement The bridge was initially set for closure until May 2025 for repairs, but worsening gridlock prompted ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


One major reasons Tinubu fired Kyari, NNPCL board emerges
President Bola Tinubu dismissed Mele Kyari and other NNPCL board members due to concerns over their performance Tinubu has set ambitious targets for the new leadership, including increasing daily crude oil production to three million barrels by 2030 and boosting gas output to 10 billion cubic meters The reconstituted NNPCL board includes industry experts, with ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Farmer slumps on hearing false alarm, eventually dies, family makes request
A 54-year-old farmer, Jeremiah Onuminya, tragically collapsed and died in Usha, Agatu Local Government Area, following a false alarm about an impending attack Local authorities confirmed that exhaustion while fleeing was the cause of his death, urging residents to verify information to prevent panic The incident coincided with allegations of cattle poisoning in the area, ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Pregnant woman dies as hospital allegedly refuses treatment over N500k deposit
A pregnant woman, identified as Kemi, tragically lost her life after a private hospital allegedly refused her treatment due to her husband’s inability to deposit N500,000 for treatment Her husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, shared a heartbreaking video on social media capturing her final moments and detailing their ordeal As usual, Nigerians on social media reacted differently ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Food security: 5 FG's policies "yielding positive results" as Tinubu, Kyari get…
The Good Governance Advocates of Nigeria (GGAN) has spoken on FG’s agricultural policies, hailing President Tinubu and agriculture minister Abubakar Kyari The group highlighted global collaborations and domestic initiatives, including fertilizer distribution and food aid, as crucial steps toward agricultural growth and food security GGAN also noted a significant drop in food pricesup to 70% ... Read more Continue reading here ▶


Leave a Comment