Sowore blasts IBB 85th birthday celebrations, cites his role in Nigeria’s decline

Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), took to his verified X handle late Monday to blast Nigerians who are celebrating former military head of state Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s 85th birthday. He said Babangida had lived long but was no longer living well, and alleged that Nigeria would not be in its current deteriorated state without IBB's 'wickedness and selfishness' in the exercise of power. Sowore added that IBB’s legacy is not nation‑building but decisions that deepened corruption, undermined democracy and left generations paying the price.

This criticism matters because it revives the long‑standing debate over IBB’s role in Nigeria’s political and economic woes, especially the annulled June 12 1993 presidential election widely believed to have been won by MKO Abiola. As the country moves toward the 2027 general elections, such public reckonings with historical figures influence how voters assess current leaders and the narratives they choose to embrace.

Readers should know that Babangida ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993, stepping aside after cancelling the June 12 vote. Sowore, a prominent human rights activist and AAC standard‑bearer, frames the birthday celebrations as a gloss over past misdeeds. Do you think celebrating IBB’s birthday ignores his role in Nigeria’s problems, or can personal milestones be separated from historical accountability?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/18/sowore-blasts-nigerians-celebrating-ibb-at-85-years/