By: Adelowo Oladipo, Minna
A former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has said that there was nothing he could do to save late Major General Mamman Jiya,Vatsa from his alleged involvement in the coup to topple his administration in 1985.
The Elder Statesman explained that when it was rumoured that Major General Mamman Vatsa was involved in the alleged coup, he said he could not believe it, arguing that it was a rumour because he trusted Maj. General Mamman Vatsa as his childhood friend that they grew up together.
The former Military ruler who was speaking in a special programme anchored by Baddegi 901 FM station , as part of an events to commemorate his 85th birthday ceremony and monitored in Minna, stated that he was dumbfounded to believe that Maj. Gen. Mamman Vatsa could participate in a coup to overthrow his administration.
General Babangida’s 85th birthday ceremony is slated to take place on Monday, the 17th of August, 2026 with special prayers at his Uphill Mansion in Minna.
According to the former Military leader, when the rumours of Maj.Gen. Mamman Vatsa’s alleged involvement in the 1985 coup was reported to him by a senior Military officer, he said that he was short of words and hard to believe it.
”Because we were childhood friends, we all grew up together and attended the same Bida Middle School, now Government College Bida, and graduated the same year and joined the Military together, then how could I believe that he will plan a coup against me”? he queried.
General Babangida, further disclosed that the rumour was that Maj.Gen. Mamman Vatsa along with the then Maj Gen.Mohammed Gado Nasko were alleged to have been mentioned in the planned coup at this point, according to him, he quickly put a call to both of them to meet him in his office.
“ When they arrived,I asked them that it was rumoured that you people were mentioned to be involved in the coup to topple me. How true are the rumours? They both denied their alleged involvement in the allegations” the former military leader stated.
During the investigations by the Military commission of inquiry, Maj.Gen. Mohammed Gado Nasko was exonerated by the panel çonstituted to investigate coup allegations but Maj.Gen. Vatsa’s involvement in the coup planned was real.
He further recalled that when it was finally confirmed that investigations revealed the involvement of Major General Mamman Vatsa in the aborted coup,” honestly I became shocked and devastated and became disorganized and disappointed.
“ There was nothing I could do to exonerate him from the already existing consequence of the coup plot in the Military law. My hands were tied. That was how I lost my brother Major General Mamman Vatsa” he added
Speaking further, General Ibrahim Babangida confirmed that no successful coup in the history of the country without the involvement of civilians, noting that most of the successful coups in the country were being sponsored by wealthy civilians.
He described the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola ( MKO) as his personal friend right from his early years in the Military, explaining that he established an outstanding personal relationship with the late Bashorun MKO Abiola for years.
He said Moshood Abiola generosity across the length and breadth of Nigeria could best be described as unprecedented, recalling that he had touched every Nigerian’s lives with his God given wealth.
“ Chief MKO Abiola was that person that used his God-given wealth to impact on Nigerians regardless of where you come from. He built friends from every part of Nigeria and he was so generous. He does not care no matter where you come from he will touch your lives positively with his wealth” Babangida stated
Commenting on the reasons behind the annulment of June 12th 1993 Presidential election which was described to be the most freest and fairest elections in the history of Nigeria Democracy, the former military leader described the annulment of the June 12th 1993 elections as one of the toughest decisions of his Military career.
He noted that the annulment of the election was a collective decision taken in the best interest of the country, “ but I must say it’s one of the toughest decisions taken for the overall interest of the country”.
The former Military leader while commenting on the present economic hardship and insecurity bedeviling the country, he was quick to appeal to Nigerians to continue to build their hope and trust in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed TInubu assuring that things will take shape for the overall general interest of the country.
He thereby implored Nigerians particularly traditional and religious leaders to always put the interest of the country above any other interest.
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