Nigeria protest 2024: Babangida Distances Self from Post Endorsing Military Takeover
- Former Nigerian leader, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has distanced himself from a statement credited to him on X
- Legit.ng reports that IBB was quoted to have said that Nigeria had the best years under the military and that democracy made things worse for the nation
- However, Babangida denied the comments in a statement from the IBB media office signed by Mahmoud Abdullahi
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs.
Minna, Niger state - General Ibrahim Babangida, a former military head of state, has said claims that he endorsed a military takeover due to the current hardship in Nigeria are fake.
As reported byVanguard newspaper, a parody account on X (formerly Twitter), @General_Ibbro, posted recently that Babangida endorsed the virtues of military rule over democratic governance.
Source: Twitter
Protests: Babangida disowns X account
The social media user’s comment comes amid the protests against hardship in several Nigeria cities which is in its fifth day.
Africa Independent Television (AIT) also noted the rebuttal from the former Nigerian leader.
Denying the report on Sunday, August 4, Babangida through his media office signed by Mahmud Abdullahi asserted that “the solution to our problems as he had said previously, 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.”
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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.”
Read more on Nigeria's protests
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- Peter Obi reacts as '17' killed in Nigeria’s hardship protests, "struggle for a better nation"
- End Bad Governance: Pro-protest lawyer tells Tinubu what to do to ‘quell anger’
‘Withdraw immediately from protest’ - police
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) advised those taking part in the 10-day 'End Bad Governance' protest to "immediately withdraw from it".
In a statement by its spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police said the ongoing protest (billed to end on Saturday, August 10) "has obviously turned violent".
Proofreading by James, Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
