Sowore to Datti: You defend Babangida, but Nigerians won’t forget Dele Giwa, June 12 tragedy

Omoyele Sowore, activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, has launched a fresh attack on Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed over his defence of former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, accusing him of attempting to rewrite a controversial chapter of Nigeria’s history.

Sowore, in a detailed response to Datti’s criticism of his remarks on Babangida’s 85th birthday, said Nigerians cannot be asked to forget events associated with the former military president’s administration, including the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the assassination of journalist Dele Giwa.

He accused Datti of presenting Babangida through the lens of compassion while ignoring what he described as the painful consequences of decisions taken during his years in power.

“Age does not erase history; compassion for an elderly person does not require Nigerians to pretend that decisions made while that person wielded enormous power had no consequences,” Sowore said.

The activist questioned why Nigerians should celebrate Babangida’s legacy without confronting the controversies surrounding his administration.

He specifically referenced the June 12 election, where he said Nigerians voted but their mandate was denied after the election was annulled.

According to Sowore, Babangida’s later acknowledgment that MKO Abiola won the election did not erase the damage caused by the decision to cancel the result.

He also brought up the 1986 killing of journalist Dele Giwa, who died after a parcel bomb was delivered to his home, saying the controversy surrounding the incident remains part of Babangida’s historical record.

“If I killed journalist Dele Giwa with a parcel bomb, I should be judged for it,” Sowore said, while listing actions he believed Nigerians had a right to interrogate when assessing leaders.

Sowore said his criticism was not based on Babangida’s age but on his record as a military ruler.

He argued that growing old should not shield former leaders from public scrutiny.

The AAC presidential candidate also criticised what he described as Nigeria’s culture of protecting powerful figures while demanding ordinary citizens forget past wrongs.

His response followed Datti Baba-Ahmed’s criticism of his remarks on Babangida, where the former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate accused Sowore of lacking compassion and suggested that political disagreements should not remove humanity from public discourse.

However, Sowore rejected the argument, insisting that accountability and compassion could exist together.

He also accused Nigeria’s political elite of maintaining close relationships behind closed doors despite public political battles.

Sowore referenced an encounter during the 2023 election peace accord meeting, alleging that politicians who publicly opposed one another often displayed friendliness when cameras were away.