Babangida Under Fire! Abacha’s Children, Netizens Shred Book; Say He Lied Against Dead Abacha on June 12

For giving the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, what they considered as an unkind cut in his autobiography launched in Abuja, on Thursday, son of the late maximum ruler, Sadiq Abacha, his sister, Gumsu, and scores of netizens, have descended heavily on General Ibrahim Babangida, accusing him of lying against the dead.

They posited that Babangida played another Maradona on Nigerians, and danced on the grave of Abacha by claiming in the brand-new book, A Journey in Service, that the late dictator spearheaded the military hawks that forced him to annul the presidential election of June 12, 1993, won fair and square by his friend, Basorun M.K.O. Abiola.

The first to pick the gauntlet was Abacha’s son, Sadiq, who summed up everything in a Facebook post on Saturday, and declared:

“The man Abacha—you have always been the one they envied with silent deceit. History shall remember you for being a better leader, no matter how much they try to put you down. As a son, I am most proud of you today. You indeed are the man they wish they were half of.”.

He ended his message with a Hausa proverb: “Duk wanda yayi jifa a kasuwa,” meaning: “whoever throws a stone in the market…” The phrase is often interpreted as a warning that actions have consequences.

If Sadiq moderated his thought and response to the book, not Abacha’s grandson, Raees, who went full blast against Babangida in a series of posts X.

He picked the hottest issue in the book-the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which Babangida admitted was won by MKO Abiola.

The former Military President, in the book, said while he regretted the decision, the annulment was largely orchestrated by “forces” within his government, allegedly led by Abacha, without his knowledge. In fact, he said he was in Katsina when the election was voided.

Alluding to the general perception that Babangida said what he said about his friend, Abacha, in the book because the man was not alive to respond, Sadiq said: “If the lifespans of these two consequential figures were reversed, this treachery would never be discharged by General Abacha.”

Please, read the series of tweets by Sadiq (@raees_abacha) which he titled:

MY GRANDFATHER SAVED THE LIFE OF A COWARD

“If the lifespans of these two consequential figures were reversed, this treachery would never be discharged by General Abacha.”

“In one breath General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida claims the June 12 elections were annulled by “Abacha-led forces” without his knowledge, calling General Sani Abacha his “biggest headache” whom he felt paralysed by…

“…yet Babangida proceeds to announce the annulment and retains the same General Abacha whom allegedly annulled the June 12 elections without his consent in Shonekan’s transitional government, describing his “biggest headache”, General Abacha, as its “enforcer-in-chief”.

“Finally, General Babangida on page 167 of his book Journey In Service (2025) admits that “I am reluctant to apportion blame or credit to individual members of our team for one reason. I believe in collective and ultimate responsibility.”

“If we consider General Babangida’s Journey In Service (2025) as his self-written, self-describing Bible to be accepted as the truth and nothing but the truth, then any who believe it are only following its author toward damnation.

“General Babangida’s biggest headache has never been General Abacha, whom numerously protected his life and reputation, but his own mind and its creations which earned him the revealing title ‘Evil Genius’.”

On her part, Gumsu, General Sani Abacha’s daughter, aggregated what people were saying on social media, especially X, on the revelation by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. But she had earlier set social media on fire with her post on X on Friday when she wrote: “Allah does not sleep!! We should be cautious about this world, I swear.”

Shehu Sani, democracy and human rights activist, and former senator representing Kaduna Central, shared in the belief that perhaps the narration would have been different if Abacha was alive.

He, however, lamented on X : “Unfortunately, Abacha is not alive to state his own side of the story.”

Kamal (@KayRimi shared the same via as Sani. He wrote on X:

“Unfortunately, the dead tell no tales.”

By his “confession on June 12” in the book, another strong user of X, Sufyan Lawal Kabo, whatever shred of respect he had for the former military president had been washed away by the book, A Journey in Service.

 

This is what he wrote on X @highlight:

IBB’S CONFESSION: A NEEDLESS REVELATION THAT DIMINISHES HIS LEGACY

By Sufyan Lawal Kabo

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has completely lost the long-standing respect I once had for him. His recent confession regarding the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election raises more questions than answers and, in my view, does little to rehabilitate his image.

Here’s why:

1. A Pointless Confession at the Wrong Time

What purpose does his admission serve at this critical moment in Nigeria’s history? The country is grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, and Nigerians are more concerned with survival than rehashing past wounds. The nation has endured enough—from the civil war to years of misgovernance by corrupt leaders. This revelation adds no value to our present challenges.

2. A Betrayal of a Trusted Ally

IBB’s claim that Abacha was responsible for the annulment reeks of betrayal. This was the same Abacha who, by IBB’s own admission, saved his life multiple times and prevented his government from being overthrown. Has he considered how Abacha’s family would feel about this posthumous blame? Integrity demands consistency, but this sudden shift in narrative paints IBB as someone willing to rewrite history to suit personal convenience.

3. A Tarnished Image of Leadership

With this confession, IBB has drastically reduced himself in the eyes of many who once held him in high regard, like my humble self. His statement now suggests that, much like Tunde Idiagbon was to Buhari, Abacha was the real mastermind and enforcer behind many of IBB’s major decisions. This revelation diminishes his perceived political acumen and makes one question whether he was truly in control of his own government.

4. A Misguided Use of Wealth and Influence

Instead of using his influence for meaningful development, IBB accepted a ₦10 billion donation to build a private library, benefiting only a select few. This is particularly painful considering that the northern region, including his home state of Niger, suffers from a staggering number of out-of-school children, poor healthcare facilities, and lack of basic infrastructure. Imagine the impact if those billions were used to build boreholes, improve schools, or provide healthcare for the masses. If he had chosen to invest in these critical areas, he might have regained some respect. In the end, IBB’s confession does not rewrite history in his favor. Instead, it exposes the contradictions in his leadership, weakens his legacy, and reminds Nigerians why the country remains stuck in a cycle of failed governance.

Another Nigerian, Bukola (@BigSoloDreamz) wrote:

IBB simply distanced himself from the June 12 annulment by pointing fingers at Abacha, it’s hard to swallow that a military president could be so out of the loop on such a monumental decision during that chaotic period.

A big joke indeed, if anyone buys the alternative.

Contributing to the debate, Shehu Abdullahi, wrote on his X account (@ShehunGwandu), saying:

IBB is trying to re-write history by craftily tilting his autobiography to show a perceived remorse about June 12, instead of telling us how he betrayed Shagari, Buhari, Vatsa, Abiola and how Sani Abacha outwitted him. The book should have been titled “How to Betray Friends”.

@theabdulgora wrote on X:

 Bad generals are rare! Wicked ones, well, it is the military. A general is beyond ridicule… Ko a civil service perm sec ba wasa bane! But Abacha walked, so IBB could run!!

Sameer Lukman (@sameer_lukman) wrote:

An Open Letter to General Ibrahim Babangida: Abacha’s Legacy Shines Where Yours Faltered

  Dear General Babangida,

Your memoir, *A Journey in Service*, launched yesterday, February 20, 2025, in Abuja, has stirred the pot once more.

Through your book reviewer, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, you admitted that Chief MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993, election, a truth long known to Nigerians. Yet, you’ve shifted the blame to General Sani Abacha, claiming he was your “biggest headache” and the mastermind behind the annulment.

You wrote, “Without question, one of my biggest headaches at this time was Sani Abacha. I knew that Abacha was ambivalent about a return to civil rule,” and alleged he led forces that annulled the election without your authority while you were in Katsina.

This narrative, casting Abacha as the villain and yourself as a sidelined bystander, is a convenient rewrite of history. The facts tell a different story: your eight years in power gutted Nigeria, while Abacha, for all his complexities, rebuilt it into a stronger, prouder nation.

Let’s set the record straight. In your book, you claim ignorance of the annulment, stating that the press secretary to your second-in-command, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, announced it without your permission. You wrote, “To suddenly have an announcement made without my authority was, to put it mildly, alarming. I remember saying: ‘These nefarious “inside” forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me!’ I would later find out that the ‘forces’ led by General Sani Abacha annulled the elections.”

This is a flimsy dodge. You were the Commander-in-Chief, sir, not a bystander. The June 12 election, which you now concede was “credible, free, and fair,” was annulled under your watch on June 24, 1993, via a national broadcast you authorized. If Abacha outmaneuvered you, why appoint him Chief of Defence Staff? Why leave him as the Interim National Government’s (ING) military linchpin when you “stepped aside”? Your claim that he became a “dominant force in a factionalised military” only underscores your failure to command loyalty or control your own regime.

You paint Abacha as a schemer, alleging he “attempted to violently remove me from power through a coup” by spreading a narrative that I was “the problem.” Yet, history shows he saved you during the 1990 Orkar coup, rallying loyal troops when your life hung in the balance. You’ve admitted this before, praising him on your 74th birthday in 2015 for coming to your aid. Where’s the loyalty Abacha showed you? We might never hear his side of the story, but history never lies; it records his actions, not your recastings.

Now, you label him a headache to absolve yourself. The contradiction is glaring: if Abacha was so untrustworthy, why entrust him with Nigeria’s defense? Your memoir’s finger-pointing reeks of hindsight crafted to dodge accountability.

Let’s talk about your legacy. June 12 wasn’t Abacha’s doing; it was yours. You annulled Nigeria’s fairest election, sparking unrest and shattering democratic hopes. Your Interim Government under Ernest Shonekan was a puppet show, collapsing in three months because you designed it to fail. Economically, your IMF-backed Structural Adjustment Program tanked the naira from 0.89 to 17 per dollar by 1993, unleashed inflation, and impoverished millions, while you siphoned off $12 billion, dwarfing any “Abacha loot.”

Politically, you banned real parties, executed rivals like Mamman Vatsa on shaky grounds, and stoked religious strife with the OIC move. Nigeria bled under your watch; Abacha merely inherited the wreckage. Abacha took power in 1993 not to ruin Nigeria, but to steady it. Economically, he grew reserves from $494 million to $9.6 billion and cut debt from $36 billion to $27 billion, all with oil at $15 a barrel. Inflation fell from 54% to 8.5%. He built roads in Lagos, Kano, and beyond, delivering what you only promised.

Dr. Hidima (@Realoilsheikh) wrote:

You call him “ambivalent” about civilian rule, yet he began a transition framework in 1995, cut short by his death in 1998, paving the way for 1999’s democracy. Your memoir begrudges his resolve; I see a leader who acted where you wavered. You scorn his defiance, but Abacha’s stand against globalists was Nigeria’s gain. After the 1995 Saro-Wiwa execution, a domestic call you’d have ducked, sanctions hit. He didn’t bend. He allied with Libya’s Gaddafi, hosting him in Kano in 1997 to cheers of thousands, and led ECOWAS to stabilize West Africa. You courted the West; Abacha defied them, preserving our sovereignty. Your book admits regret, saying, “June 12 happened under my watch; mistakes, oversights, and missteps happened in quick succession,” and “If I have to do it all over again, I’d do it differently.” Too late, sir. You claim Abacha “wanted that job at all cost,” a line from a 2018 interview you now amplify. Yet, if he was your headache, you empowered him. History favors Abacha not for flawlessness; his rule was tough, but for results: stability, growth, and pride. You left Nigeria broken; he left it standing tall. Your memoir can’t rewrite that.

Sincerely, Sameer Lukman.