Former military dictator, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida has said that he stands by his earlier statement calling on President Muhammd Buhari to step aside while young people take over leadership in the country.
Babangida in the statement, issued by his spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, had said Nigeria had descended into a theatre of blood under the Buhari administration.
There was controversy after the statement was earlier denied by parties in Babangida’s camp led by his elder son Mohammed who had wanted the octogenarian to tone down the rhetoric and help the Buhari administration to save face. The statement was then denied and the Inspector General of Police reportedly called for the arrest of Afegbua.
But according to ThisDay news, in an interview with Babangida, the earlier statement was verified by the former ruler.
Thisday reports enquiries from sources close to Babangida revealed that the confusion arose due to the pressure mounted by the former military ruler’s son, Mohammed, on his father to retract the first statement and issue a toned down version.
Indeed, the sources informed THISDAY that the second toned down version was not signed by the Babangida but his son who simply appended the retired general’s name to the revised statement.
But when Babangida got wind of what had transpired, he instructed Afegbua to reach out to media houses reaffirming the validity of the first statement.
In his original statement yesterday, Babangida said that he did not write a letter to Buhari but was just sharing his thoughts with “fellow compatriots on the need to enthrone younger blood into the mainstream of our political leadership starting from 2019”.