Nigerians Unfair to Babangida? Kalu Urges Him to Write a Second Book

Senator Orji Kalu defends former President Ibrahim Babangida, stating Nigerians have been unfair to him and encouraging him to write a second book.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu believes that Nigerians are being unfair to former military president Ibrahim Babangida in light of the recent publication of his memoir.

In the 420-page memoir titled “A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida,” the former military leader acknowledged that MKO Abiola won the 1993 election, which his government later annulled.

After 32 years, his admission sparked varied reactions nationwide, with some critics arguing that it came too late.

During Monday’s episode of Politics Today on Channels Television, Uzor Kalu, the senator representing Abia North, expressed that Nigerians are being unfair to Babangida.

Regarding Babangida’s book, the former Abia State governor commented on the program, “I believe Nigerians are being very unfair to Babangida because he stepped forward voluntarily.”

“When I say the story is not complete, I’m urging President Babangida to share more of it because it’s unfinished. There’s still much to uncover; certain officers advised Babangida against handing over power to this man.”

Senator Kalu mentioned that Babangida independently voiced what many have hesitated to express for a long time.

According to him, Babangida revealed in his book that the 1966 coup was not an Igbo-led coup—an accusation he described as “a sin” that people have attributed to the Igbos for many years.

A second book should be written by IBB.

Senator Orji Kalu suggested that Babangida should write a second book detailing the roles of other top military officers in the aftermath of the June 1993 election.

He claimed that Babangida was in personal danger at the time, given how he had departed from power.

He suggested that more military personnel who were present should discuss this topic. “There ought to be a sequel to the book because mentioning just one or two names does not provide a complete picture,” he remarked.

“They should fully commit to revealing the truth to Nigerians. Babangida ought to write a second book, as I am aware that he was in jeopardy during those times. Reflecting on how he departed from power clearly indicates that something was amiss.”

The cancellation of the June 12, 1993, presidential election between Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Abiola and his main opponent Bashir Tofa from the National Republican Convention (NRC) continues to be a contentious political issue in Nigeria.