Former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) is set to launch his long-awaited autobiography.
The memoir, ‘A Journey in Service,’ will be released on February 20 at an event at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, marking 32 years since IBB left office.
In an invitation sent to dignitaries this week, the Board of Trustees of the IBB Presidential Library Foundation announced that the book launch will be held alongside a fundraiser for a presidential library.
The organisers said the event would be chaired by a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, with President Bola Tinubu as the special guest of honour.
The keynote address will be delivered by the former President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, while the autobiography will be reviewed by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Other notable guests expected to attend include former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan.
Former Minister of Defence Theophilus Danjuma and BUA Group Chairman Abdul Samad Rabiu have been named as chief launchers.
‘A U-turn’
This decision marks a significant shift from eight years ago when Babangida expressed doubts about Nigerians finding his book inspiring. In an interview with Channels Television, he cited misconceptions about his leadership, including the June 12 crisis and policies implemented during his tenure from 1985 to 1993.
He said, “People may not read it (the autobiography) because it is coming from a dictator. A lot will say dictator, he cancelled June 12 and that will kill the book.
“If God spares my life, I will discuss about June 12 election because I still believe people don’t get what we were trying to put across. Nobody has ever sat down to say the two persons involved are friends, what went wrong? We tried to rationalise why we had to do what we did but nobody is prepared to listen to us.
