African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore criticizes Nigerians who celebrate former military ruler Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s 85th birthday. In posts on his verified X account late Monday, Sowore says Babangida has lived long but is “no longer living well,” and he argues that people are celebrating the wrong legacy.
Sowore alleges that Nigeria’s deterioration is linked to Babangida’s decisions while in power, describing them as “wickedness and selfishness.” He says Babangida’s record deepens corruption, undermines democracy, and leaves generations facing the consequences of those choices. One outlet frames Sowore’s comments as accusing Babangida of having “done Nigeria dirty” and being celebrated by “cronies,” while another emphasizes his view that the legacy is not nation-building but political and economic damage.
Both reports reference Babangida’s tenure as Head of State from 1985 to 1993 and his stepping aside after annulling the June 12, 1993 presidential election, an outcome widely believed to have been won by MKO Abiola.
