IBB’s ‘A Journey In Service’ Must Address Dele Giwa’s Murder, June 12 Annulment, $12.5bn Oil Windfall – Sowore

Former presidential candidate and pro-democracy activist, Omoyele Sowore, has issued a scathing critique of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s (IBB) upcoming book, A Journey In Service. Sowore insists the book must address several controversial and tragic events from Babangida’s tenure as Nigeria’s military leader, warning that failure to do so would render it a “journey in mega falsehoods.”

Human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, has tagged former military dictator General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s upcoming autobiography, A Journey in Service, as a “journey in falsehood” unless it addresses several unresolved issues from his regime.

According to Sowore, the book would lack credibility unless it candidly examines key issues, including:

The assassination of investigative journalist Dele Giwa in 1986.

The controversial execution of General Mamman Vatsa over an alleged coup plot.

The annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.

The mysterious Ejigbo military plane crash that wiped out promising Nigerian Army officers.

The alleged mismanagement and theft of the $12.5 billion Gulf War oil windfall.

Unexplained deaths and widespread corruption that led to economic decline under Babangida’s regime.

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Sowore also demanded that Babangida name his co-conspirators in these events, especially within the Nigerian Armed Forces and beyond. “Without addressing these issues,” Sowore said, “the book will merely be an exercise in whitewashing one of the most controversial chapters in Nigeria’s history.”

The event, which will double as a fundraising effort for the IBB Presidential Library, is expected to attract several prominent figures

Among those confirmed to attend are former President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and several ex-presidents, including Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan.

The activist emphasized that the Nigerian public deserves accountability and clarity on these dark moments, which have left scars on the nation’s collective memory. He argued that IBB’s legacy would remain tarnished if the book fails to confront the truth.

As anticipation builds for the release of A Journey In Service, Nigerians are eager to see whether the former military ruler will use the platform to provide answers or attempt to rewrite history. For many, this could be an opportunity for Babangida to engage in a much-needed national reckoning—or risk further criticism for avoiding accountability.

Will Babangida take this opportunity to tell the truth, or will this book become another controversial chapter in his legacy? Only time will tell.