Ibrahim Babangida: The Military, Politics and Power in Nigeria

by Dan Agbese

To borrow a hackneyed phrase, Nigeria has had a chequered political history before and since independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960. Two sets of actors - the civilian politicians and the military politicians - have been on the national political stage since January 15, 1966. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida was one of them. In his eight years in power as president, or perhaps more correctly as military president, he affected the course of Nigeria's events, for better or for worse, in a way that few, if any, before him did. It is not possible to tell Nigeria's story without Babangida's part in it. The book is the story of IBB, the little orphan from Minna, Niger State and his meticulous rise to the top of his profession and the leadership of his country. Perhaps, more importantly, it is the story of Nigeria, its post-independence politics and power, told from the perspective of the actions and decisions of one of the main actors on the country's political stage. The events that shaped the Babangida era did not begin on August 27, 1985, the day he staged a palace coup against General Muhammadu Buhari. They began long before that. This book is the definitive story of the military, politics and power in Nigeria.

452 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2012

Reviews

[Mike O · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the author is a legend in Nigerian press/media circles and does a good job of portraying the events that took place during the regime of former Military President Babangida, the final product comes off as a dry paternalistic recital of the leader's deeds and misdeeds.

Perhaps, this is no fault of the author. Maybe it is the subject matter and central character that make the book irritatingly laborious to cover. That being said, the coverage of June 12 was insightful. That was the section that made this book worth the while. Other than that, the reader is tasked with 300 plus pages dedicated to massaging the conceit of the General.

If I was a dictator, this would be the sort of book I would like to be written about my government. Not directly ingratiating but at the same time not harshly critical.