Former Military Leader Ibrahim Babangida Reveals Reasons for Overthrowing Buhari’s Regime

Former Nigerian military head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has disclosed the reasons behind the 1985 coup that removed the Muhammadu Buhari regime from power. In his newly launched autobiography, *A Journey In Service*, Babangida described his dissatisfaction with Buhari’s policies and leadership style, which he deemed detrimental to the country’s progress.

Babangida, who served as Chief of Army Staff under Buhari following the December 31, 1983 coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari’s civilian government, stated that the military government’s strict decrees led to the suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms. He asserted that these issues, coupled with growing divisions within the military, necessitated a leadership change.

Reflecting on the events leading up to the coup, Babangida recalled traveling from Minna to Lagos on August 27, 1985, to assume power. He noted that tensions had been rising since the beginning of the year, as concerns over the nation’s future deepened. According to him, the coup that brought Buhari to power, initially envisioned as a “rescue mission,” had strayed off course, putting the military at risk of fragmentation.

Babangida expressed fears that internal divisions within the armed forces could lead to factionalization, which he believed posed a serious threat to national unity. He claimed that the administration led by Buhari and his deputy, Tunde Idiagbon, had isolated themselves from collective military leadership and ruled with a rigid and uncompromising stance, further alienating both the armed forces and the general public.

In his book, Babangida accused the Buhari administration of implementing draconian decrees that resulted in the arbitrary detention of individuals and the erosion of basic freedoms. He argued that instead of instilling hope, the government had instilled fear among the populace. As Chief of Army Staff, Babangida said he faced mounting pressure from within the military to bridge the widening gap between the government and society.

The growing discontent among senior and mid-level officers ultimately led to the decision to remove Buhari from office, according to Babangida. The coup, executed on the night of August 26, 1985, was carried out without bloodshed.

In a speech from 1985, reproduced in the book, Babangida criticized Buhari for being “too rigid and uncompromising” in addressing national issues. He noted that Idiagbon shared a similar disposition, making their leadership increasingly difficult to manage. Babangida concluded that in order to restore hope and confidence among Nigerians, decisive action had to be taken, leading to the overthrow of the Buhari regime.