PROTEST Getting TOUGHER! Ibrahim Babangida Speaks About Military Takeover Amid Ongoing Protest; SEE What He Declared
Former Nigerian leader General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has denied making a comment attributed to him on X. According to reports, IBB stated that Nigeria enjoyed its best years under military rule and that democracy made matters worse for the country.
In a statement issued by the IBB media office and signed by Mahmoud Abdullahi, Babangida refuted the statements. General Ibrahim Babangida, a former military head of state, has denied supporting a military takeover owing to Nigeria’ s present suffering.
According to the Vanguard newspaper, @General_Ibbro, a parody account on X (previously Twitter), recently tweeted that Babangida favoured military dictatorship over democratic administration.
Protests: Babangida disowns X account
The social media user’ s tweet comes as protests against hardship continue in many Nigerian towns for the sixth consecutive day. Africa Independent Television (AIT) also reported the former Nigerian leader’ s reaction.
On Sunday, August 4, Babangida denied the allegation through his media office, which was signed by Mahmud Abdullahi, asserting that ” the solution to our problems, as he had previously stated, is’ more’ democracy, not less. ”
The statement partly 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 carries our principal’ s picture and name and the coat of arms of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for added effect but it does not belong to him nor does the former President sanction any post appearing there. ”
Babangida added: ” As a nation, we are currently facing a number of challenges but the former president has always expressed the view that we will eventually overcome these challenges and come out a stronger, more progressive nation. ”
” The solution to our problems as he had said previously, is ‘ more’ democracy, not less. ”
Another news source said that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) encouraged individuals participating in the 10- day ‘ End Bad Governance’ demonstration to ” immediately withdraw from it” .
According to Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police spokeswoman, the current demonstration (scheduled to finish on Saturday, August 10) ” has obviously turned violent” .
