Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, has
claimed that former military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, was among
those who ensured that another former military Head of State, Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo, emerged as the country’s president in 1999.
However, according to him, Babangida was plotting to succeed
Obasanjo, who he thought would serve just one term.
In his new book titled ‘Vindication of a General’, Bamaiyi
said that former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), who was in
power at the time; ex-Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.); and
a former National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau, came up with the plan
that saw Obasanjo back to power as a civilian president in 1999.
Bamaiyi wrote: “Unknown to me, Gen. (Abdulsalami) Abubakar
had already committed himself to Generals Babangida, T.Y.Danjuma and Aliyu
Gusau on General Obasanjo’s coming in to take over from him. A proposal I
totally objected to, which I told Generals Abubakar, TY Danjuma and Aliyu Gusau
in very clear terms. My stand did not go (down) well with the generals and
General Abubakar started feeling unsafe.
“He (Abdulsalami) was supported by some northern generals,
who believed one of them would take over from Obasanjo after one term of four
years. It was alleged that Obasanjo had promised Gen. Babangida that he would
succeed him.”
He added: “General Abubakar prepared and handed over his
(handover) report to Gen. Obasanjo’s team, dated June 1998. This means that he
prepared the report as soon as he was sworn in as the commander-in-chief in
June 1998.”
Bamaiyi claims he insited on Falae, when he found out that
those who annulled the June 12, 1993 election, wanted to ‘arrange’ a president
for the South-West.
“I decided to take Chief Olu Falae to Gen. Abubakar and only
Abubakar and I discussed this issue. I do not regret that action because I was
and I am convinced Falae would have done better as president of our great
country. I am glad those behind Obasanjo knew (sic) better.
“This was not done because they liked Obasanjo, but because
of the ambition of General Babangida to return as president after Obasanjo’s
tenure.
“I believe that they saw Obasanjo as a political novice they
would manipulate. They never thought they would meet a different Obasanjo from
the one they had known in 1979.”
He added: “When I discovered that some people were pushing
for a president from the South-West, I asked a friend, Dr. Frank Adejuwon, a
minister in the Abacha cabinet, to contact Chief Falae and bring him to Abuja.
“I took Falae to Gen. Abubakar and told him that Falae was a
very good candidate, if the presidency had to go to the South-West. I believe
Gen. Abubakar briefed Obasanjo, which led to an unforgiving Obasanjo developing
actual hatred as far as I am concerned.”
Bamaiyi said he opted for Falae as a last resort. He stated
that he saw no reason why the position should be narrowed down to the
South-West.
He stated, “When Gen. Abukakar took over, he and I had a
discussion about the military and how Nigerians hated it. We agreed we should
make a clean break by ensuring the next president would be someone without a
military background.
“I was later told that for some reasons, others involved
wanted someone from the South-West, which did not make any sense to me. I stood
for an open election for Nigerians to decide who ruled them.”
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