IBB Disowns Post Endorsing Military Rule, Reaffirms Commitment to Democracy

Former Nigerian military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, has distanced himself from a post suggesting his endorsement of military rule over democratic governance. In a statement from his media office, signed by Mahmud Abdullahi, Babangida reiterated his commitment to democracy and urged Nigerians to support and ensure its success.

The statement clarified that a post on a parody account on X (formerly Twitter), using the handle @General_Ibbro, falsely attributed statements to Babangida praising military rule. The account, featuring Babangida’s picture and the Nigerian coat of arms, is not affiliated with him, nor does he endorse its content.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a post on a parody account on X, formerly known as Twitter, which carries the handle, @General_Ibbro, in which former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, GCFR, was supposed to have endorsed the virtues of military rule over democratic governance. This dubious account does not belong to him, nor does the former President sanction any post appearing there.”

The media office highlighted previous incidents where the account spread false information, including a claim that Babangida had endorsed a particular presidential candidate during last year’s elections. The recent post suggested that Babangida believed Nigeria had better years under military rule and that democracy had worsened conditions, which the statement firmly denied.

“For the avoidance of doubt, General Babangida (rtd) believes that Nigeria’s democracy is resilient and has come to stay and that we must do everything we can to safeguard the process,” the statement continued. Babangida expressed confidence that Nigeria would overcome its current challenges and emerge stronger and more progressive, emphasizing that “more democracy, not less,” is the solution.

Babangida praised the Nigerian military for supporting democratic governments since 1999, marking the longest period of civilian administration since independence. The statement condemned the parody account for undermining democracy and spreading divisive stories, urging the public to disregard any posts from the account.

Media practitioners and social media users were advised to verify the authenticity of statements attributed to Babangida before sharing them.