1990 Coup: IBB, Ogboru Reconcile
Team up for 2007 _Shagari forgives Buhari
By Oma Djebah in Lagos and Agaju Madugba in Kaduna
Fourteen years after the aborted April 22, 1990 coup staged against the government of former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the two principal actors, Babangida, and the acclaimed godfather of that attempted military putsch, Chief Great Ogboru, have reconciled.
Elsewhere in Kaduna, former President Shehu Shagari has forgiven members of the Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) junta for toppling his government 21 years ago.
THISDAY checks reveal that the reconciliation between the two gladiators was achieved in June following a meeting held in Niger State at the instance of a retired Army General and a top Aso Rock player who is also a retired General.
Sources confided in THISDAY that the meeting between the two-IBB and Ogboru- which is the first since that 1990 botched coup which sought to topple the former's regime, was very successful as both agreed to work together in the race for the presidency in 2007.
A source close to the meeting revealed to THISDAY last night that "the meeting was very successful because what was discussed was agreed to by both parties, and that there is the need for the two to work together in the task ahead in 2007."
He said: "The whole essence of the reconciliation is for both IBB and Ogboru to team up on agreed terms. And that was realised because both camps agreed that in politics, there is no permanent enemy but there is only permanent interest. So to that extent, they both agreed that since it is in their interest to align, the atmosphere was very friendly at the meeting.
"That also showed that IBB is a man with a very large and forgiving heart too. So they have both made up. And that first meeting was seen as exploratory as another meeting has been scheduled to hold again as a follow up.
"There was the feeling that if Babangida wants to garner very significant grassroots following in one particular state ...of the South South, then it was important to also talk with Ogboru. That was the feeling of some. Then on the other side too, some Ogboru boys also saw the need to look ahead beyond the present, that is 2007. So in a way, there was a convergence of position and this made the job easy for the two retired Generals who facilitated the reconciliation."
When THISDAY contacted Ogboru on phone last night on the reconciliation between him and Babangida, he parried the question. He would neither deny nor confirm that there was a meeting between him and the former military President. He said: "I don't want to comment on that. What we are doing now has to do with 2003. We are fighting for 2003 ... So I cannot speak on 2007 now. At the appropriate time, I will comment on that."
It would be recalled that Ogboru, a fishing magnate and big time businessman had bankrolled the April 22, 1990 unsuccessful coup. The plotters led by the late Major Gideon Orkar had attempted to overrun the then seat of the Federal Government-Dodan Barracks- and in that process killing IBB's ADC, Major U.K.Bello. Other military officers who were involved in the botched coup included Major Mukoro who has a doctorate in Criminology, late Air Force Officer, Sqd Ldr Martin Luther, who was rated at that time as Nigeria's best Pilot and Lt.-Col. Tony Nyiam.
Late Major Orkar had announced many far-reaching declarations, which included radical restructuring of the federation bordering on the excision of five core Northern states until the coup was foiled by officers loyal to Babangida.
The first announcement to this effect came from the then military governor of Lagos state, Col. Raji Rasaki who declared in a radio broadcast that the rebellion was already being contained. This was later followed by a nationwide radio broadcast by late Gen. Sanni Abacha that the rebellion had been crushed. It was later that Babangida appeared on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and confirmed to the nation that there had indeed been a plot to topple his regime.
Ogboru, Major Mukoro and Lt.-Col. Nyiam then proceeded on exile following the failed coup. Major Orkar, Luther and other officers who were not lucky to escape were rounded up and tried in accordance with military tradition. Orkar and others found guilty of involvement in the botched coup were sentenced to death by firing squad.
Ogboru, the business mogul also suffered untold deprivations. His businesses were shut down and some of his visible assets confiscated by the state, including choice plots of land in Warri, Delta State. Also some of his business associates and relations were arrested and detained by agents of Babangida's government. Mr. Turner Ogboru, his younger brother was arrested and detained for years until reprieve came for him via a general amnesty granted to all detainees by former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
A source close to Babangida also confirmed the reconciliation yesterday, saying that the former military president and Ogboru have put all those past issues behind them in their joint moves on the 2007 project.
But it was not until a few years into President Olusegun Obasanjo's Presidency that Ogboru returned from exile in London. He returned like a hero into the warm embrace of his kinsmen and women in Delta State. He later contested the 2003 gubernatorial elections in Delta State on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and lost to the incumbent Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori.
He, however, filed a petition against the election of Chief Ibori at the Election Petition Tribunal, challenging the declaration of Ibori as the elected Governor in the 2003 governorship polls in Delta State. The case is still pending at the Tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Buhari coup for which Shagari has now forgiven had terminated the second Republic and introduced a fresh round of military dictatorship which ended about 15 years later with the election of President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999.
Shagari who spoke at the launch of his biography in Kaduna noted that those who enacted the coup plot might have had genuine reasons to embark on such a treasonable act.
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Second Repu-blic Senate President, Joseph Wayas, Minister of Transport under Shagari, Dr. Umaru Dikko, the Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris and Buhari were among prominent Nigerians who were present at the launch of the Tarihin Shehu Shagari.
According to Shagari, "I must take this opportunity to declare that I do not in any way hold malice against anyone, including those daring combatants who overthrew my government.
"This is simply because I am absolutely certain that no sane person would risk his own life unless and until he firmly believes in the cause he was pursuing. I trust that they sincerely believed that what they were doing was right and proper.
"There are indeed many who view it differently. However, each side, in a free country, is indeed entitled to his own opinion, period! So, let bygone be bygone. Let us all join hands in the service of our dear fatherland."
Shagari described the launch of the biography which is in the Hausa language, as a landmark development.
He said, "let us resolve to henceforth encourage our people, especially the intelligentia, to vigorously promote writing and reading in the vernacular rather than in English, which, with all its positive commendable qualities, is unfortunately eating deep into our culture and indeed our civilization."
Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Muktar Shagari, respresented Obasanjo at the ceremony and bought three copies of the book for N250,000.
Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, donated N3 million while the Bayelsa and Sokoto State Governments sent N2 million each. Rivers, Kaduna and Kano State Governments bought copies of the book for N1 million each. The chief launcher, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, had earlier launched the book with the sum of N500,000.
Some other dignitaries present at the ceremony included former Minister of Communi-cations, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, Kaduna State Deputy Gover-nor, Stephen Shekari and Senator Dalhatu Tafida, among others.
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