Former Nigerian military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has shed new light on the dramatic coup that unseated Major General Muhammadu Buhari in 1985, revealing that he orchestrated the takeover due to Buhari’s autocratic rule, disregard for human rights, and alienation of fellow military officers.
In his autobiography, launched last Thursday, Babangida painted a damning picture of Buhari’s leadership, accusing him of personalizing power, sidelining key officers, and running an oppressive regime that stifled civil liberties and crippled the economy.
“My predecessor, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, and his deputy, Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon, distanced themselves from the mainstream of the armed forces by personalizing what was initially a collective leadership. Their holier-than-thou attitude alienated them from both the military and the civil populace.”
Babangida further detailed how Buhari’s authoritarian decrees led to mass detentions, economic hardship, and widespread fear among Nigerians.
> “Fundamental rights and freedoms were being routinely infringed upon. Draconian decrees allowed the detention of people indefinitely, often for minor infractions. The country was gripped by fear.”
According to Babangida, Buhari’s economic policies deepened Nigeria’s woes, making life unbearable for the people.
> “Under Buhari, essential goods were scarce, arbitrary economic controls were stifling businesses, and the country was forced into barter trade due to financial constraints.”
Babangida claimed that the situation prompted a broad coalition of senior and middle-ranking military officers to intervene, leading to the bloodless coup on August 26, 1985.
Buhari’s Counterclaim: ‘I Was Removed for Fighting Corruption’
However, in a 2016 interview, Buhari offered a starkly different narrative, insisting that he was toppled because of his relentless anti-corruption stance, which threatened powerful figures in the military, including Babangida’s allies.
> “I found out that some officers were misusing funds. When I confronted them and took the matter to the Army Council, I insisted on punishing General Aliyu Gusau, the intelligence chief. That was why Babangida and others conspired to remove me.”
Buhari claimed that Gusau had illegally obtained an import license worth N100,000—a substantial sum at the time—and awarded it to a businessman. His insistence on taking action against Gusau, despite the political and religious sensitivities involved, was, according to him, the real reason for his ouster.
> “When people want to cover up incompetence, they hide under religion, ethnicity, or politics. Let Babangida tell his own side. Aliyu Gusau is still alive.”
The IBB-Buhari power struggle remains one of the most debated events in Nigeria’s military history, with both men offering conflicting accounts of the motivations behind the 1985 coup.
While Babangida insists he acted to rescue Nigeria from a dictatorship, Buhari maintains that he was betrayed for standing against corruption.
The clash of narratives only deepens the mystery and intrigue surrounding the turbulent era of Nigeria’s military rule.
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