Former military Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed how a soothsayer predicted the rise of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) as Nigeria’s Head of State.
According to Abubakar, the prophecy was made in 1952, a remarkable 33 years before IBB assumed leadership of the country in 1985.
Abubakar shared that the soothsayer’s prediction had been a topic of conversation among their peers during their military career, but it became a reality when Babangida eventually seized power through a military coup.
Abubakar spoke on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of IBB’s memoir titled ‘A Journey In Service’.
The book launch was held alongside a fundraising for the IBB presidential library.
The event was attended by President Bola Tinubu, former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan; former Vice-Presidents, Atiku Abubakar and Yemi Osinbajo, among others dignitaries.
Narrating the prediction in front of the audience, Abdulsalami, a neighbour of IBB in Mina, went down memory lane.
“While we were growing up in the little town of Minna about 80 years ago, as far back as 1952, a soothsayer told us that IBB was going to be the head of state of this country.
“We never believed him. Then Captain Gowon, a young smart officer, lured us to join the military and when we joined the army, all our hope was to get to the rank of a captain and retire.
“God in His mercy propelled us to become generals and by the grace of God, both of us later became heads of state. No moment goes by when we remember our escapades that it doesn’t bring smiles to our face.”
As it turned out, both leaders would go on to rule Africa’s most populous nation at different times as generals.
IBB was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1985 to 1993 while Abubakar served as head of state from 1998 to 1999 and midwifed the transition to civil rule programme.
(DailyTrust)
