Former military President General Ibrahim Babangida did not torment President Bola Tinubu during the military era.
Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, made the denial in response to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s claim that IBB’s government tormented Tinubu and others.
Osinbajo had made the remark while reviewing Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service, at its public presentation in Abuja last week.
According to the former Vice President, Tinubu who was a senator then, resisted the military’s dissolution of the Senate following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Osinbajo recalled that Tinubu, who was then “tormented” by the military, including Babangida, was now present to celebrate one of his former adversaries.
Onanuga, however, denied the claim on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Tuesday, maintaining that Babangida influenced Tinubu’s political journey.
“I think the former Vice President got it wrong. Babangida was not really a tormentor of President Tinubu. Don’t forget that in his own speech at the event, Tinubu acknowledged that Babangida inspired him to go into politics,” Onanuga said.
He recalled that Babangida’s call for new-breed politicians in the late 1980s and early 1990s attracted many technocrats and private sector professionals, including Tinubu, into politics.
“The military president had talked about bringing in fresh faces, and many professionals, including Tinubu, heeded that call. So, he went there (the book launch) to pay homage,” Onanuga added.
Onanuga said it was during under General Sani Abacha’s era that Tinubu began having real challenges with the military when he and some lawmakers attempted to reconvene the Senate in Lagos.
He praised Babangida’s recent admission that Chief MKO Abiola won the 1993 presidential election but noted that such acknowledgment came too late.
