President Muhammadu Buhari has said he
was removed from office 31 years ago
because he was planning to purge the
military hierarchy of corruption.Buhari, who
has not spared the military even in his
ongoing anti-corruption war, said senior
military leaders, led by a former military
president, General Ibrahim Babangida, and
General Aliyu Gusau, removed him in August
1985, to save themselves from his wrath.
was removed from office 31 years ago
because he was planning to purge the
military hierarchy of corruption.Buhari, who
has not spared the military even in his
ongoing anti-corruption war, said senior
military leaders, led by a former military
president, General Ibrahim Babangida, and
General Aliyu Gusau, removed him in August
1985, to save themselves from his wrath.
In an exclusive interview published in the current
edition of The Interview magazine, Buhari
challenged Babangida and Gusau, to tell the truth
on why they carried out the coup against him.
“I learnt,” he said, “that Aliyu Gusau, who was in
charge of intelligence, took import licence from the
Ministry of Commerce which was in charge of
supplies and gave it to Alhaji Mai Deribe.
"It was worth N100,000, a lot of money at that
time. I confronted them and took the case to the
Army Council in a memo...I wanted Gusau
punished."
In a statement on www.theinterview.com.ng, the
Managing Director/Editor-in-chief of The Interview,
Azu Ishiekwene, said, “This is one edition that
won’t let sleeping dogs lie.”
Babangida had told The Interview in its December
edition that there was nothing in the memo which
Buhari said he submitted to the Army Council.
"Don't forget that I was one of Buhari’s closest
aides. I was the chief of army staff. So, I had an
important position, an important role to play in that
administration. I don't think it had to do with a
memo," Babangida said.
But in a tone which revealed that the past might
neither have been forgotten nor forgiven, Buhari
challenged Babangida and Gusau to come clean
on why they removed him, asking The Interview to
choose whose story to believe.
He also fielded questions about his health, the
2016 budget, the pace of his government, former
President Goodluck Jonathan and why Mr.
Babatunde Raji Fashola was handed three
ministerial portfolios.
The edition also features interviews with Liberian
presidential hopeful, Mr. Winston Tubman, and
retired Justice Dahiru Saleh, the controversial judge
whose court nailed June 12.
And in an interview which indicates that the battle
for 2019 could be well and truly underway,
pharmacist and Rotarian, Dr. Mike Omotosho, aims
at the Kwara State government house.
His roadmap would give rivals sleepless nights.
