Babangida Coup: Swearing-in Ceremony of the New Armed Forces Ruling Council | August 1985

Major General Ibrahim Bagangida addresses foreign diplomats and High Commissioners soon after taking power in a coup which deposed the previous Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari.

Text from Reuters:

Nigeria's new military leader, Major-General Ibrahim Babangida, has sworn in a 28-member ruling council to replace the disbanded Military Council of deposed Major-General Mohammed Buhari. Many former members of the defunct council, which was the highest policy-making body in the country until the coup on August 27, have retained their positions. High in the hierarchy are Defence Minister Domkat Bali who has been given the additional post of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Air Force chief Ibrahim Alfa, Navy Commander Augustus Aikhomu and police chief Etim Inyang. Babangida's post of Chief of Army Staff in the ousted administration goes to Major-General Sani Abacha, who led a coup that returned the military to power in 1983 after only four years of civilian rule. The new leader has scrapped the powerful position of Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, who served as number two in previous military governments. Major-General Tunde Idiagbon, who held the post in the former administration, has been stranded in Saudi Arabia where he was on a Moslem pilgrimage during the coup. Despite continued uncertainty life seems to be returning to normal across the country. The new authorities have lifted a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed in Lagos and state capitals and seaports and airports have been reopened. International communications have been restored but the authorities have remained silent on the country's land borders which have been closed for over a year. The new Government has moved to restore civil liberties which it accused the ousted regime of violating. Police spokesman, Mohammed Gambo, says the new military president had set up a 26-member committee to review the cases of alleged human rights violations. Although most people and foreign governments are cautiously optimistic about the new rulers, Major-General Babangida faces severe economic problems within the country and has promised to move quickly on stalled negotiations for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) adjustment loan and to review barter trade.

Transcript of Babangida's words (Excerpt 1):

"I am pleased to take this opportunity to declare once again therefore that this administration attaches the greatest importance to constructive and helpful criticisms as well as the freedom of the press, and to declare further that the administration also attaches the greatest importance of fundamental human rights. A visible improvement in the standard of living of our people will not come overnight of course. It is nonetheless feasible to take a meaningful action now which would alleviate the deprivation, misery of the large majority of our population within a short time. Thus the administration will in particular take measures to check our galloping inflation and soaring unemployment. Part of these measures may require a review of our ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and our current debt servicing ratio and I trust that we will be able to count on the goodwill of your countries and organisations on this issue."

Transcript of Babangida's words (Excerpt 2):

"You are all aware of the circumstances which led to the change in the leadership of this country, and I need not repeat it here. Let me first of all congratulate all of you for well deserved appointments as members of the armed forces ruling council, a body which now replaces the former supreme military council as the highest ruling organ of government. Your selection was made on your personal merit and experience and not because you represent sectional or particular geographic areas of the country. I hope therefore that you will justify the confidence reposed in you. As members of the highest ruling organ of government you are directly in the focus of the keen and watchful eyes of the public for your conduct of public affairs your utterances and general behaviour. I therefore expect of all of you at all times loyalty good conduct and exemplary leadership qualities. I equally expect of you to be above board and render selfless service to the nation."

Source: Reuters News.