IBB’s Book ‘A Journey In Service’ Is "A Journey in Mega Falsehoods

....."Must Address Dele Giwa’s Murder, June 12 Annulment, $12.5bn Oil Windfall" – Sowore

Former presidential candidate and pro-democracy activist, Omoyele Sowore, has issued a scathing critique of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s (IBB) upcoming book, A Journey In Service. Sowore insists the book must address several controversial and tragic events from Babangida’s tenure as Nigeria’s military leader, warning that failure to do so would render it a “journey in mega falsehoods.”

Sowore, who is also the human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, stated that Babangida’s autobiography would lack credibility unless it openly discusses the following unresolved issues:

• The assassination of investigative journalist Dele Giwa in 1986.
• The controversial execution of General Mamman Vatsa over an alleged coup plot.
• The annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
• The mysterious Ejigbo military plane crash that wiped out promising Nigerian Army officers.
• The alleged mismanagement and theft of the $12.5 billion Gulf War oil windfall.
• Unexplained deaths and widespread corruption that contributed to economic decline under Babangida’s regime.

Sowore also demanded that Babangida name his co-conspirators in these events, particularly within the Nigerian Armed Forces and beyond. “Without addressing these issues,” Sowore said, “the book will merely be an exercise in whitewashing one of the most controversial chapters in Nigeria’s history.”

The event, which will also serve as a fundraising effort for the IBB Presidential Library, is expected to attract several prominent figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and former presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan.

Sowore emphasized that the Nigerian public deserves accountability and clarity on these dark moments, which have left deep scars on the nation’s collective memory. He argued that Babangida’s legacy would remain tarnished if the book fails to confront the truth.

As anticipation builds for the release of A Journey In Service, Nigerians are keen to see whether the former military ruler will use the opportunity to provide answers or attempt to rewrite history. For many, this could be a chance for Babangida to engage in a long-awaited national reckoning—or risk further criticism for avoiding accountability.

Will Babangida seize this opportunity to tell the truth, or will this book become yet another controversial chapter in his legacy? Only time will tell.