Abacha: ‘It Ridiculous That Babangida Would Stoop To Accusing A Dead Man’ – Odumakin

A human rights activist and President of the Centre for Change, Joe Odumakin, has strongly criticized former Head of State, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), over what she called a “hatchet job” to “mislead the present generation of Nigerians.”

Naija News reports that Odumakin, in a statement on Friday, particularly objected to Babangida’s “Maradona-style double-speak,” noting that in “one breath, he took responsibility for annulling June 12” while also shifting blame to the late General Sani Abacha, who served as his Chief of Army Staff.

She said, “It is indeed ridiculous that Babangida would stoop to accusing a dead man of such a heinous crime, knowing full well that the accused can never defend himself.

“It is indeed ridiculous that Babangida, as the Commander-in-Chief of that junta, could descend so low to accuse a dead man of such a heinous crime, knowing fully well that the accused would forever remain silent.

“Has Babangida forgotten that as the Head of State, he had the power to sack Abacha if, indeed, the latter had threatened the people’s mandate given to Abiola?

“Has IBB forgotten that his so-called transition to the civil room programme was not only long and winding but also full of booby traps?”

According to Odumakin, it was clear that Babangida’s transition programme was not designed to hand power over to a democratic government.

She cited the “banning, unbanning, and rebanning of political associations and individuals” as further evidence that IBB harboured no real intention of relinquishing power.

“We recall that he postponed the hand over date to a democratically elected government on two occasions in 1990 and 1992 before cancelling the election in 1993. Will he also blame Abacha for those postponements?

“What about the banning, unbanning and rebanning of political associations and individuals? Would Abacha also take the blame for that? It was an open secret that Babangida’s transition to civil rule programme was not designed to achieve a real hand over of power to democratic Government,” she stated.