There are arguably few people in the history of Nigerian politics that are able to spur deep polarising emotions like Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
The former armoured corps general is known for his toothy smile, but some argue is a facade for the intricacies of his mind.
Controversial as he is, though, his supporters and opponents appear agreed on the fact that Mr. Babangida, popularly referred to as IBB, is an expert political schemer. In fact, it is this adeptness that has earned him the nickname “Maradona”, after the famous Argentine football star.
Akin Oyebode, a professor of International Law at the University of Lagos has described Mr. Babangida as “a man who had Nigerians dancing on a string.”
The man, Babangida
Born on August 17, 1941 in Minna, Niger State, Mr. Babangida had an early Islamic education under a scholar known as Mallam Najoji. Between 1950 and 1956, he had his elementary education in Minna and later attended Provincial Secondary School (now known as Government College) in Bida, Niger State from 1956 to 1961.
In 1962, he joined the Nigerian Military College, Kaduna – which later became the Nigerian Defence Academy. He later attended a first level officer course at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1963. He also attended various officers’ courses in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
In 1983, he was appointed the Chief of Army Staff, a position he held until he swept aside the regime of Mohammed Buhari on August 27, 1985 and conferred the title of president on himself – the first military head of state to do so.
An acclaimed coup plotter himself, it is believed that Mr. Babangida was involved in almost every coup in the history of the country. Ironically, Mr. Babangida did not take kindly to those who plotted against his government.
His response to every coup attempt was to deal with the planners with calm ruthlessness.
In March 1986, for instance, his childhood friend Mamman Vasta, a poet and infantry general, was shot on the allegation of involvement in a coup plot. Mr. Vasta’s body was allegedly covered with acid and buried in a mass grave with others implicated in the plot.
Settlement culture
For Mr. Oyebode and other critics, however, the regime of Mr. Babangida is responsible for institutionalising corruption in the country.
“Babangida introduced the whole idea of settlement,” he said. “What you can call the settlement syndrome – a Machiavellian way of looking at the Nigerian reality that everybody has his price. You are either bought over or you are wasted.”
For critics of his administration, the reported disappearance of the Gulf War oil windfall headlined the corruption of the Babangida era. He was alleged to have siphoned an incredible $12.2 billion out of the estimated $12.4 billion accruable from the nation’s crude oil export.
According to Mr. Oyebode, Mr. Babangida “transformed corruption into an art form.”
He however agrees that the former army officer has presence. “Give it to him though, he is a genial character,” Mr. Oyebode said. “I almost said he was charismatic. The ways with which he managed his relationship with people, he mixed freely, a little bit sophisticated. He is not your regular artillery officer that he was. He had a manner with people.”
Many are convinced that behind his amiable mien resides deep vindictiveness. During his regime, dissenting voices were not given audience and were ultimately silenced.
Another unresolved ghost hanging on the neck of the former military president is the murder of the renowned journalist, Dele Giwa. Media organisations were also hounded and closed down under his watch.
Then of course, there is also the annulment of the June 12 1993 election adjudged as the freest and fairest election in the history of the country, which threw the country into its most serious political crisis since the civil war.
Modern day democrat?
While his supporters are elated about his renewed interest in politics, others are of the view that it is a slap to the sensibility of Nigerians.
For instance, Naiwu Osahon, the leader of the World Pan African Movement, thinks he is deceitful and should not be trusted.
“If all he could deliver, as a young man, was to loot our treasury dry, what is he bringing to the table now?” Mr. Osahon asked. “He does not even have the basic education or the intelligence. To be an expert at manoeuvring a people and their treasury does not demonstrate intelligence as much as lack of moral fibre and self-discipline.”
Mr. Oyebode says the former military ruler cannot be a democrat. “The rigmarole he did with elections, this guy is no democrat. Is he is now a latter day democrat, born again democrat? The guy is a Machiavellian. Babangida is a ruthless power monger. For me, he is not the type that I should be proud to call my president”.
Mr. Osahon however believes it will be difficult to stop the campaign train of the former military dictator due to his enormous wealth. “He is now threatening to use a fraction of his loot to return to power and a figure of N400 billion has been mentioned by his cronies as his campaign chest,” he said.
But Mr. Oyebode is of the opinion that the former junta leader doesn’t have the slightest chance.
He is of the view that Mr. Babangida will not survive the vicious politicking of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Babangida is bad news,” he said. “He is trying to launder his image. To warm himself back to the consciousness of the Nigeria people; I’m not sure he is going to get away with it. There is a ground swell of voices; opposition against the return of Babangida. He is a spent force. This is 2010. This is a democratic dispensation. I think he will be brought to his knees.”