Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, has countered former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s recent remarks labeling ex-military leader Ibrahim Babangida as one of Tinubu’s “tormentors.”
Onanuga clarified that Babangida was not a tormentor but rather an inspiration for Tinubu’s entry into politics.
The disagreement stems from Osinbajo’s comments during the public presentation of Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service, held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja last week.
Osinbajo, who reviewed the book, humorously referred to Babangida as one of Tinubu’s tormentors, recalling how Tinubu, then a senator, resisted the military government’s dissolution of the Senate following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
However, Onanuga, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, dismissed this characterization.
He explained that Babangida’s policies and vision for “new breed politicians” inspired Tinubu and others to transition from private business and technocratic roles into active politics.
“I think the former Vice President got it wrong. Babangida was not really a tormentor of President Tinubu,” Onanuga stated.
He further referenced Tinubu’s extemporaneous speech at the event, where the president acknowledged Babangida as a significant influence on his political career.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu’s presence at the book launch was a gesture of respect and homage to Babangida, not an acknowledgment of past grievances.
Onanuga also pointed out that the real challenges Tinubu faced began during the regime of General Sani Abacha, when he and other lawmakers attempted to reconvene the dissolved Senate in Lagos.
This period, he noted, marked a more tumultuous phase in Tinubu’s political journey.
While Onanuga commended Babangida for finally admitting that the late MKO Abiola won the annulled 1993 presidential election, he expressed regret that the acknowledgment came decades too late.
“Babangida’s admission is commendable, but it should have come much earlier,” he said.
Media personality accuses Babangida of distorting facts
In a similar report, Legit.ng chronicled that the Executive Director of the Centre for Free Speech Organisation, Mr. Richard Akinnola, has strongly refuted the assertions made by former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), regarding the 1986 murder of Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine.
In a statement titled ‘Dele Giwa: IBB Lied’, Akinnola criticized Babangida for what he described as a deliberate misrepresentation of facts surrounding the high-profile assassination.
Jonathan praises Babangida’s legacy at memoir launch
The event, which also marked the opening of Babangida’s presidential library, drew a crowd of notable figures, including past and present leaders, reflecting the elder statesman’s lasting influence.
