Corruption: Past military leaders are saints compared to what is happening now – IBB

*Explains why June 12 election was annulled, how he was nicknamed evil genius, Maradona

*Nothing new in Babangida’s interview, it’s a sour taste in the mouth – Afenifere

Former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), on Friday, said the level of corruption under the current democratic dispensation makes past military leaders saints.

The former president, who spoke in an interview granted to ARISE TV on Friday, also gave reasons why he famously annulled the June 12, 1993 election.

Babangida said people who worked under him are saints compared to those currently in power.

The military leader said while he moved against a former military governor who embezzled N313,000, those who stole billions are currently walking freely.

“With the current cases of corruption going on across the country, the military leaders are saints when compared to the democratic leaders.”

“You cannot compare what we did with what is on the ground now in terms of corruption.

Corruption is more now. We are saints when compared to what is happening in the democratic era.

“When I was in leadership, I sacked a governor for misappropriating less than N313,000 but today, billions are being stolen and misappropriated, a lot of them are in court but still parade themselves in the streets. So tell me, who else is better at fighting corruption?”

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Explaining why his junta annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election, he said: “If it materialised, there would’ve been a coup d’etat — which could have been violent. That’s all I can confirm.

“It didn’t happen, thanks to the engineering and the ‘maradonic’ way we handled you guys in the society.

But that could’ve given room for more instability in the country.”

The election was adjudged by most Nigerians as the freest and fairest in the nation’s democratic experience.

It was contested between Chief Moshood Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC).

Babangida said there was pressure on his junta within and outside the military to nullify the election for that reason.

“Both. The military can do it because they have the weapons to do it, and others (civil society groups) can use agitation,” he added.

Also during the programme, Babaginda explained how he was nicknamed “evil genius” and “Maradona”.

He said the nicknames were manufactured by the media because of his “deft political moves”.

His words: “That’s the very good thing about the Nigerian media and Nigerian people, you have to anticipate them.

“If you anticipate them then you live well with them. They call me ‘evil genius’, I marvel at that. The contradiction — you can’t be evil and then a genius”

“The definition of Maradona I got from the media is because of deft political moves. That’s the way the media described it.”

Reacting, the Pan Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere said the former Military Head of State said nothing new in his interview with Arise TV on Friday, describing the interview as a sour taste in the mouth.

The Secretary-General of the group, Chief Sola Ebiseni, stated this while reacting to the interview criticising Babangida for saying that he annulled the June 12, 1993 Presidential election to prevent a coup in the country.

Ebiseni said Babangida was hiding under one finger with his claim that some top officials in the military would have staged a violent coup if he did not annul the election which was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the history of the country.

The Afenifere scribe also laid the death of some young intelligent Nigerians at the doorsteps of the former Military ruler, saying some vibrant middle-level officers were massacred in an organised plane crash.

Ebiseni said: “Babangida has not said a new thing worthy of any reaction in respect of his treasonable acts of the annulment of the adjudged freest and fairest election in the country’s political history.

“Nigerians are not interested in any excuse being given now by IBB.