Why I Overthrowned Buhari in 1985 Coup – Babangida Narrates Ordeal

Former military head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has disclosed that he orchestrated the 1985 coup that removed Muhammadu Buhari due to policies he believed were detrimental to Nigeria’s progress.

In his newly launched autobiography, A Journey In Service, unveiled in Abuja on Thursday, Babangida detailed the events leading to the coup and his growing concerns about Buhari’s governance.

Babangida, who served as Chief of Army Staff under Buhari after the military toppled Shehu Shagari’s civilian government on December 31, 1983, described Buhari’s leadership as oppressive and increasingly problematic.

Recalling the events of August 27, 1985, the day he assumed power, Babangida noted that tensions had been building for months, making a change in government inevitable.

“On that day, it became my lot to step into the saddle of national leadership on behalf of the Nigerian armed forces. The change in leadership had become necessary as a response to the worsening mood of the nation and growing concern about our future as a people,” he wrote.

Babangida explained that by early 1985, Nigerians had grown anxious about the country’s future, and divisions within the military had emerged, threatening national stability.

“It was clear to the more discerning leadership of the armed forces that our initial rescue mission of 1983 had largely miscarried,” he stated. “If the armed forces imploded, the nation would go with it, and the end was just too frightening to contemplate.”

According to Babangida, factionalism had begun to replace the unity that initially guided the military’s intervention in 1983, and urgent action was needed to prevent further instability.

“My greatest fear was that division of opinion and views within the armed forces could lead to factionalisation in the military. If allowed to continue and gain root, grave dangers lay ahead,” he warned.

The coup, which removed Buhari and brought Babangida to power, marked a significant turning point in Nigeria’s military and political history.