Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), has shed light on the reasons behind the 1985 coup that removed General Muhammadu Buhari from power.
In his newly released autobiography, A Journey in Service, Babangida described the coup as a response to growing national discontent and worsening economic conditions.
“By the beginning of 1985, the citizenry had become apprehensive about the future of our country. The atmosphere was precarious and fraught with ominous signs of clear and present danger,” he wrote.
He accused Buhari and his deputy, Brigadier General Tunde Idiagbon, of isolating themselves from the military and ruling with an authoritarian approach.
“They both posited a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, antagonising the civil populace against the military. Fundamental rights and freedoms were being routinely infringed upon and abused,” Babangida stated.
He explained that economic hardship, rigid policies, and the use of barter trade in international transactions worsened public dissatisfaction.
“Like most military coups, our leadership change was informed by widespread disquiet among the civil populace. Ordinary people were experiencing severe economic hardship. The general economic and social conditions the people lived under were worsening by the day,” he wrote.
As Chief of Army Staff, Babangida said he was under pressure from junior officers to act, as internal military divisions threatened national stability.
“This tense atmosphere culminated in the unanimous decision of a broad spectrum of senior and middle-level officers to change the nation’s leadership. The processes associated with this change were completed without bloodshed by midnight on August 26, 1985,” he stated.
