Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has described former military Head of State Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida as a great Nigerian.
The comment comes against the backdrop of sharp criticism of Babangida by Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress.
Sowore had earlier taken a swipe at Nigerians celebrating the former military ruler’s birthday.
In a post on X, Sowore wrote: “Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the man who did Nigeria dirty, is being celebrated by his cronies on his 85th birthday. He lived long but is no longer living well; but had he not been so wicked and selfish in the exercise of power, Nigeria would not be where it is today. History should remember not just the birthday celebrations, but the consequences of the choices he made while holding power that ruined Nigeria.”
Sowore later expanded on his position in response to comments by Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. He insisted that age should not erase the record of decisions taken while Babangida held power. “I wish no illness upon Ibrahim Babangida, but I will not participate in rewriting his record simply because he has grown old,” Sowore stated.
He also referenced the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which Babangida has acknowledged was won by MKO Abiola. Sowore stressed that the election outcome and its cancellation remain central to any fair assessment of that era in national history.
Sani, a long-time human rights activist and former vice chairman of the Campaign for Democracy, was himself arrested in October 1994 and later sentenced to life imprisonment by a military tribunal for treason. He has repeatedly spoken about his experience under military rule, yet chose to separate that personal history from his assessment of Babangida’s broader contribution to the country. Sani’s own activism during the pro-democracy struggles of the period placed him in direct opposition to the military government at the time.
In his birthday message posted on X, Sani shared an old photograph of Babangida as a young man in Kaduna in 1969. He wrote: “IBB as a young man gorgeously dressed in Kaduna in 1969. Even though he sent some of us to prison in the 90s, he is still a great Nigerian, unequalled in infrastructural development. I wish him a happy 85th birthday.” The post made clear that Sani viewed the infrastructural record as standing on its own merits.
Sani specifically highlighted Babangida’s record on infrastructure, describing it as unequalled. The former senator has maintained a public profile as a critic of successive governments while occasionally offering measured views on past military leaders. His willingness to offer this assessment stood in contrast to the sharper tone adopted by Sowore on the same subject.
Babangida served as military Head of State from 1985 to 1993. His tenure remains one of the most debated periods in Nigeria’s recent history. It was marked by structural adjustment programmes, the creation of new states and local governments, and the controversial annulment of the June 12 election that led to prolonged political crisis. These elements continue to shape how different voices evaluate the period.
Babangida turned 85 on 17 August. The birthday triggered a wave of tributes and criticisms that continue to generate debate among politicians, activists and ordinary citizens.