Renowned human rights advocate and former chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has ignited a firestorm of debate with scathing critiques of former military president Ibrahim Babangida’s newly released memoir.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Odinkalu lambasted the ex-head of state for allegedly fabricating allegations against deceased figures while casting himself as a “victim” of history.
Odinkalu’s critique centers on Babangida’s failure to provide corroborating evidence for claims made in his book, particularly regarding the contentious annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll.
The activist argued that Babangida, 82, waited until all members of the 1993 Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) had died before “conveniently” portraying himself as a “passenger” in the decision.
IBRAHIM BABANGIDA’S BOOK IS FILLED WITH ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DEAD MEN & WOMEN. HE WAITED UNTIL THEY WERE ALL DEAD & NONE OF THEM CLD CONTROVERT HIM & HE PORTRAYS HIMSELF AS A VICTIM OF ALL THESE DEAD MEN & WOMEN. THIS DAMNS HIM EVEN MORE THAN HE ALREADY WAS AS LACKING IN CHARACTER PIC.TWITTER.COM/KLDJBHZRT6
— CHIDI ODINKALU, CGOF (@CHIDIODINKALU) FEBRUARY 21, 2025
“He damns himself even more than he already was as lacking in character,” Odinkalu wrote, accusing Babangida of exploiting the silence of the dead. “A committed record-keeper [yet] he could not produce any contemporaneous records, minutes, or notes to corroborate his claims. All hail the Grand Commander of the Order of Cowardice!”
The lawyer also questioned how a leader “so devoid of character & values” ascended to dominate Nigeria’s military-political landscape for decades. “How was he allowed to routinely pick and choose at his whim which soldier could or should rule Nigeria?” Odinkalu asked, referencing Babangida’s role in orchestrating coups and installing successors like Sani Abacha.
The posts sparked mixed reactions online, with some users applauding Odinkalu’s bluntness (#NdiAra trended briefly) while others criticized the tone as overly harsh. Supporters of Babangida, however, were notably silent.
Babangida’s memoir has reignited long-simmering anger over his annulment of the 1993 election, which denied Chief MKO Abiola the presidency and plunged Nigeria into political turmoil. His recent claims of being “overruled” by the AFRC have been dismissed by historians, who note that as military president, Babangida held ultimate authority.
