The director general of the Confederation of APC Support Groups, Professor Kailani Muhammad, has called on former military ruler General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) to reveal the whole truth about the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, which the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday night, Professor Muhammad stated that Babangida’s recent claims regarding the annulment of the election were an attempt to shift responsibility onto the late General Sani Abacha.
He said Babangida’s actions plunged Nigeria into economic and political difficulties.
“Babangida’s deliberate misdeeds and misconceptions pushed Nigeria into its present comatose state.
He singlehandedly devalued the Naira through the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), despite warnings from economic experts,” Muhammad said.
He further alleged that Babangida squandered Nigeria’s wealth, using state funds to secure the loyalty of military officers and traditional rulers.
Professor Muhammad also criticised Babangida’s recent remarks on Nigeria’s civil war, where he suggested that the Yoruba played a key role in fuelling the conflict rather than the Igbo.
“This has raised tensions across the country. While the Igbo have been alleged to be seeking compensation and an apology from the Federal Government, Babangida’s comments have only stirred unnecessary controversy,” he said.
He warned that elder statesmen must be careful with their public statements, as they could incite division within the country.Shifting the focus to governance, Muhammad criticised Nigerian states for their over-dependence on federal allocations.
He urged state governors to explore agriculture and mineral resources to drive economic growth.
“State governors need to think outside the box and focus on productivity and creativity for sustainable development,” he advised.
Speaking on local government autonomy, Muhammad expressed disappointment that the Supreme Court’s ruling on financial independence for local councils had not been fully implemented.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that his administration upholds local government financial autonomy as a key reform initiative.
“The excuses from state governors about bureaucracy are not encouraging.
The President must stand firm in his commitment to local government financial independence,” he concluded.
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