August 17, 2011 –The Ex- Military
President, Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida has reveal
his intention to marry a new
wife following the demise of his
wife, Dr. Maryam Babangida.
In an interview with
Vanguard ahead of his 70th
birthday today, Gen. Babangida
debunked claims that he secretly
married a wife about four
months ago asserting such a
marriage existed only in the
imagination of some section of
the media.
In the wide ranging interview,
Babangida linked the military
intervention led by Gen. Sani
Abacha that sacked the interim
government of Chief Ernest
Shonekan to the agitation of civil
society even as he justified his
support for Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1999
presidential election as the best
decision at that time. He rated
Obasanjo a success based on the
fundamental parameter of
unifying the country which he
said informed his selection at
that time.
On speculations that he had
secretly married, “I have not re-
married. You are not the only
one who heard. A close friend of
mine heard and came to the
house to find out. I took him
around to all the rooms a wife
would have been if I re-married.
It is the soft sell media that
would like to make huge sales
that come up with that type of
story,” he told Vanguard.
But in a session with selected
newsmen in Minna yesterday
Babangida gave notice of his
readiness to marry.
“Yes, I will get a new wife, no
name yet but I know what I
want and who is coming into
this house and one thing I
cannot also tell you now is when
exactly she is coming in.”
Gen. Babangida who was full of
life and radiating with smiles
throughout the interactive
session said he gives glory to
God for successfully navigating
the turbulence that characterized
political office especially as a
Military President.
He, however, ruled himself out
from further partisan political
pursuit saying:
“I am now 70 years. By 2015, I
will be about 75 years so at that
age, what would I still be looking
for. Count me out. That time, I
will be in Minna to attend to
people who call on me for
political and other consultations,”
the former military president
said.
Recalling his saddest moments in
life, Gen. Babangida said it was
when he lost his bosom friend
simply identified as Lt. Col
Mohammed in 1974 who he said
died in a crash and also the
death of his wife, Maryam.
He, however, recounted his most
joyful moments to be the day he
got married and when he was
appointed the military president
for the country after a successful
military coup.
Gen. Babangida described the
public execution of his bosom
friend and colleague, Gen. Vatsa
following allegations of a coup
plot as the most traumatizing
decision ever taken in his life. He
prayed never to find himself in
such a position again.
According to him, “it was a
military law which could not be
amended. We all got caught up in
the coup Decree of 1976 which
gave no room for an alternative
but only death through public
execution. If I tell you that it was
not traumatizing, I must be lying
and I pray I will never find
myself in such a situation again.”
The former military president
also touched on other National
issues such as the amendment of
the constitution of the country,
the re-occurring June 12 issue
and the way forward for the
country.
Jonathan congratulates IBB
President Goodluck Jonathan
yesterday congratulated
Babangida on the occasion of his
70th birthday which was
yesterday. A statement by Dr Reuben
Abati, prayed God Almighty to
bless him with “many more
years of robust health,
prosperity and continued
distinguished service to our
nation.”“Looking back over the
past 70 years, I am sure that
you, your family and indeed
your larger family of associates
and admirers do have cause to
be grateful to Almighty God for
having granted you a life of
great accomplishment and
abiding fulfillment.”
“You did not only rise to the
pinnacle of your chosen career
in the military, you also rose to
become President of Nigeria for
eight years,” President Jonathan
wrote. Vanguard
President, Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida has reveal
his intention to marry a new
wife following the demise of his
wife, Dr. Maryam Babangida.
In an interview with
Vanguard ahead of his 70th
birthday today, Gen. Babangida
debunked claims that he secretly
married a wife about four
months ago asserting such a
marriage existed only in the
imagination of some section of
the media.
In the wide ranging interview,
Babangida linked the military
intervention led by Gen. Sani
Abacha that sacked the interim
government of Chief Ernest
Shonekan to the agitation of civil
society even as he justified his
support for Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1999
presidential election as the best
decision at that time. He rated
Obasanjo a success based on the
fundamental parameter of
unifying the country which he
said informed his selection at
that time.
On speculations that he had
secretly married, “I have not re-
married. You are not the only
one who heard. A close friend of
mine heard and came to the
house to find out. I took him
around to all the rooms a wife
would have been if I re-married.
It is the soft sell media that
would like to make huge sales
that come up with that type of
story,” he told Vanguard.
But in a session with selected
newsmen in Minna yesterday
Babangida gave notice of his
readiness to marry.
“Yes, I will get a new wife, no
name yet but I know what I
want and who is coming into
this house and one thing I
cannot also tell you now is when
exactly she is coming in.”
Gen. Babangida who was full of
life and radiating with smiles
throughout the interactive
session said he gives glory to
God for successfully navigating
the turbulence that characterized
political office especially as a
Military President.
He, however, ruled himself out
from further partisan political
pursuit saying:
“I am now 70 years. By 2015, I
will be about 75 years so at that
age, what would I still be looking
for. Count me out. That time, I
will be in Minna to attend to
people who call on me for
political and other consultations,”
the former military president
said.
Recalling his saddest moments in
life, Gen. Babangida said it was
when he lost his bosom friend
simply identified as Lt. Col
Mohammed in 1974 who he said
died in a crash and also the
death of his wife, Maryam.
He, however, recounted his most
joyful moments to be the day he
got married and when he was
appointed the military president
for the country after a successful
military coup.
Gen. Babangida described the
public execution of his bosom
friend and colleague, Gen. Vatsa
following allegations of a coup
plot as the most traumatizing
decision ever taken in his life. He
prayed never to find himself in
such a position again.
According to him, “it was a
military law which could not be
amended. We all got caught up in
the coup Decree of 1976 which
gave no room for an alternative
but only death through public
execution. If I tell you that it was
not traumatizing, I must be lying
and I pray I will never find
myself in such a situation again.”
The former military president
also touched on other National
issues such as the amendment of
the constitution of the country,
the re-occurring June 12 issue
and the way forward for the
country.
Jonathan congratulates IBB
President Goodluck Jonathan
yesterday congratulated
Babangida on the occasion of his
70th birthday which was
yesterday. A statement by Dr Reuben
Abati, prayed God Almighty to
bless him with “many more
years of robust health,
prosperity and continued
distinguished service to our
nation.”“Looking back over the
past 70 years, I am sure that
you, your family and indeed
your larger family of associates
and admirers do have cause to
be grateful to Almighty God for
having granted you a life of
great accomplishment and
abiding fulfillment.”
“You did not only rise to the
pinnacle of your chosen career
in the military, you also rose to
become President of Nigeria for
eight years,” President Jonathan
wrote. Vanguard
