General Muhammadu Buhari, who is now the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) revealed how he was ousted out of power by Ibrahim Babangida in 1980s. It should be noted that Buhari’s tenure as Nigeria’s military ruler was short: a 20-month period in the 1980s, ended by another military coup. Yet it is remembered with trepidation by many Nigerians.Buhari accused Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) of cutting his ruling, because of his effort to fire the formely army chief, and Aliyu Gusau, the army intelligence chief.Current APC candidate made an offer for the leaving of Mr Gusau (who was a friend of Babangida) and this made Babangida understand he could be next.After this Babangida organized the military against General and then he imprisoned Buhari for 3 years.Buhari said: “I moved to retire his Director of Military Intelligence, I took a paper to Army Council. Babangida was there… Idiagbon was there, Bali was there as Minister of Defence, and I was there as the head of state and commander-in-chief. And reasons for him to be removed was in that memo.
Go and find out from him or from Babangida. They are both alive.”He added, “…But if you touch Gusau, his intelligence chief, invariably, you were going to inch towards the Chief of Army Staff, Babangida. Eventually, he might have been touched. I didn’t know but at that point, it was Aliyu Gusau.“Yes, we were inching closer. You could say that.”Mr. Gusau’s narrative of his military career verified Buhari’s disclosing.Gusau said he was Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) from November 1979 to December 1983 and played a significant role in the coup that exiled President Shehu Shagari and the corrupt National Party of Nigeria, NPN, from power on 31 December 1983, bringing Buhari to power.General Buhari said he felt deceived by IBB, and felt even more upset after his custody made him miss his mother’s memorial in 1988. Meanwhile the APC candidate said he has excused Babangida, though the events continued memorable.But Buhari said he had no forgivness for the former president Olusegun Obasanjo.That time, when GMB was petroleum minister under his government, he still envied Mr. Obasanjo for mobilizing voters against him during past elections.“No, I haven’t forgiven him,” he said of former president.Buhari also revealed some personal information, which Nigerians don’t know yet.He said he quit smoking in 1977. APC candidate said he didn’t touch alcohol because his religion, Islam, forbids him from doing so. He added for effect that he was surprised that not many women had interest in him despite his position and looks.Buhari said his key point for democracy came in 1991 after the former Soviet Union split into more than a dozen countries.The General rejected ever partaking in coup planning, and said he was merely invited as the most senior officer to take over the reins of governance after Mr. Shagari, the second republic president, was sacked.
Go and find out from him or from Babangida. They are both alive.”He added, “…But if you touch Gusau, his intelligence chief, invariably, you were going to inch towards the Chief of Army Staff, Babangida. Eventually, he might have been touched. I didn’t know but at that point, it was Aliyu Gusau.“Yes, we were inching closer. You could say that.”Mr. Gusau’s narrative of his military career verified Buhari’s disclosing.Gusau said he was Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) from November 1979 to December 1983 and played a significant role in the coup that exiled President Shehu Shagari and the corrupt National Party of Nigeria, NPN, from power on 31 December 1983, bringing Buhari to power.General Buhari said he felt deceived by IBB, and felt even more upset after his custody made him miss his mother’s memorial in 1988. Meanwhile the APC candidate said he has excused Babangida, though the events continued memorable.But Buhari said he had no forgivness for the former president Olusegun Obasanjo.That time, when GMB was petroleum minister under his government, he still envied Mr. Obasanjo for mobilizing voters against him during past elections.“No, I haven’t forgiven him,” he said of former president.Buhari also revealed some personal information, which Nigerians don’t know yet.He said he quit smoking in 1977. APC candidate said he didn’t touch alcohol because his religion, Islam, forbids him from doing so. He added for effect that he was surprised that not many women had interest in him despite his position and looks.Buhari said his key point for democracy came in 1991 after the former Soviet Union split into more than a dozen countries.The General rejected ever partaking in coup planning, and said he was merely invited as the most senior officer to take over the reins of governance after Mr. Shagari, the second republic president, was sacked.
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