Nigeria’s collective amnesia: Honouring heroes, confronting the past

I was on Danfo Chronicles with Ireti last Friday to talk about the IBB book launch that dominated the headlines in Nigeria last week.

“To die for a people devoid of memory is to be killed over and over, again and again,” as Dele Farotimi aptly noted, captures the tragedy of Nigeria’s collective amnesia. This failure to honour heroes like MKO Abiola, who sacrificed his life for democracy, while celebrating villains like Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), whose legacy is stained by betrayal and repression, reflects a deep moral decay.

Thursday’s launch of IBB’s memoir, attended by Nigeria’s political elite, underscores this hypocrisy — a class prioritising power over justice and privilege over accountability. While I have not read the memoir, its narrative appears revisionist, portraying IBB as a victim rather than the architect of Nigeria’s darkest moments, such as the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election.

IBB’s alleged attempts to blame deceased accomplices and rewrite history reveal a man unwilling to take responsibility for his actions. His regime, marked by corruption and repression, remains a dark chapter in Nigeria’s past. Yet, rather than being held accountable, he is celebrated as a statesman, his crimes forgotten. This collective amnesia betrays heroes like Abiola and perpetuates a cycle of impunity.

Nigeria’s elite and its people live on different planets. The general revulsion at yesterday’s event that I have seen from the people stands in stark contrast to the elite, and it means that we, members of the public, must ask ourselves a question: what would I do if I become a part of the elite?

For the elite, a deep fear of poverty drives their moral bankruptcy as they cling to power and wealth at all costs. To honour Abiola’s legacy, Nigeria must confront its past with honesty, reject revisionism, and demand accountability. Until then, our collective amnesia will remain a tragedy, betraying those who fought for a better future. The launch of IBB’s memoir is a call to action: to demand truth, justice, and democracy and to build a nation worthy of its heroes.