Omoyele Sowore has responded sharply to Mallam Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed over criticism of his comments concerning former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, arguing that respect for an elderly person must not become an excuse for rewriting Nigeria’s history.
Sowore said his latest response followed a recent encounter with Datti’s elder brother, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, at a National Peace Committee event. According to Sowore, Hakeem described himself as his “number one fan” and encouraged him to remain committed to social justice regardless of the challenges he faces.
Sowore said Hakeem subsequently drew his attention to Datti’s response, published in the print edition of Daily Trust, criticising Sowore’s comments about Babangida at 85.
Rather than withdraw his position, Sowore said he was disappointed that Datti focused on personal attacks and a sermon about compassion instead of confronting what he described as the historical record of Babangida’s years in power.
At the centre of Sowore’s argument is the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Babangida’s own autobiography, A Journey in Service, published in 2025, acknowledged that Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola won the election and met the constitutional requirements for victory. Babangida also described the annulment as one of the most difficult and painful decisions of his life and accepted responsibility for decisions taken under his watch.
For Sowore, that admission reinforces rather than weakens the argument that Nigerians must continue interrogating Babangida’s legacy.
“I did not attack Ibrahim Babangida because he is 85,” Sowore argued. “My criticism was about his record in power and what his decisions did to Nigeria.”
He maintained that age, illness or personal circumstances cannot erase the consequences of decisions taken by someone who once exercised enormous political and military power.
Sowore also rejected Datti’s apparent appeal for compassion while, according to him, making references to alcohol, drugs, imprisonment and intensive-care treatment in relation to Sowore himself.
He argued that compassion should apply equally to ordinary Nigerians, protesters, political detainees, workers and young people whose lives have been affected by government policies—not merely to former rulers when they grow old.
The activist further questioned what he described as the reverence shown by sections of Nigeria’s political establishment toward former military leaders. He recalled an encounter during the 2023 election period involving Datti, Peter Obi and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, arguing that the interaction illustrated how political elites can privately maintain relationships that appear very different from the fierce battles fought by their supporters in public.
For Sowore, this reflects a broader problem within Nigerian politics: excessive deference to powerful individuals.
He said titles such as “Uncle,” “Daddy,” “Baba,” “Leader” and “Your Excellency” should never replace accountability, insisting that a president is a public servant and that former military rulers are historical figures whose records remain open to scrutiny.
Sowore also referenced several controversial episodes associated with the Babangida era, including the June 12 annulment, the execution of Mamman Vatsa, the killing of journalist Dele Giwa, allegations surrounding the Gulf War oil windfall, the Structural Adjustment Programme and the wider repression associated with military rule.
Some of these historical controversies remain subjects of competing accounts and allegations; however, Sowore's central argument is that Nigerians have the right to examine them without being accused of lacking compassion.
He concluded that growing old should be respected as a human reality, but it should not provide immunity from historical judgment.
“Respect is earned; accountability is mandatory,” Sowore said in substance, insisting that his politics is not about hatred of individuals but about challenging systems that protect privilege and repeatedly rehabilitate failed leadership.
He warned that Nigeria’s real danger is not citizens who question former rulers, but a political culture that demands silence, protects powerful people and encourages historical amnesia.
“Growing old is a privilege. It is not immunity from history,” Sowore declared.
His message was ultimately clear: Nigerians can show compassion toward individuals while still demanding accountability for their actions in public office.
For Sowore, remembering June 12, the victims and controversies of Nigeria’s military era is not hatred—it is part of ensuring that the country learns from its past rather than repeating it.
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