Professor Wole Soyinka at Freedom Park

By Nehru Odeh

Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has said former military president Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir, A Journey in Service, is incomplete, adding that the retired General owes it as a point of duty to finish the 405-page book, which was published in February 2025 by Bookcraft Africa.

Soyinka made this assertion at a fireside chat with selected journalists, which was held on Saturday, June 14, at Freedom Park, Lagos. The conversation themed “June 12: Romancing the Embers” was held against the backdrop of the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which is not just a milestone in our nation’s history but has been memorialized as an annual public holiday in the country.

When Babangida’s book was released in February this year, it generated not a few ripples as the retired General was criticized for not only distorting history but also for the many lies that dot the pages of the book.

One of the many distortions in the book is that former Military Head of State Sani Abacha (retd) and other military officers were behind the annulment of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election.

However, Abacha’s family, in a statement signed by the late military dictator’s son, Mohammed Abacha, gave the lie to Babangida’s narrative, saying Babangida was only trying to “shift blame” and distort the truth about the election cancellation.

Soyinka said Babangida has to write another book, since he hasn’t finished his autobiography. “I called him (Babangida)and I said that your memoir is not finished. And I said, isn’t it about time that we name names in this matter? Babangida’s book should be read side by side with Professor Omo Omoruyi’s. Omoruyi was there,” Soyinka said, referring to Professor Omoruyi’s account of the annulment of the June 12 Election, The Tale of June 12. The Betrayal of the Democratic Rights of Nigerians.

“I told him, ‘You haven’t finished your book. You have to write another one,’ That’s my position,” Soyinka averred.

It will be recalled that Professor Omoruyi was Babangida’s friend and closest confidant throughout his eight-year stint as military president.

The Nobel Laureate also said Babangida was a general without an army. “We know of a certain move which he made. We know those who visited him at the time, those who added their weight to the annulment, both within the military and the civil. We know the royal fathers who went to visit and said on no account will they accept the implementation of that election. We know all of that. It’s not me who should write it. It’s he. He owes it to the nation,” Soyinka maintained

Soyinka also used the opportunity to speak on the national awards President Bola Tinubu bestowed on the heroes of the June 12 struggle, saying that that awards are representatives of the others who participated in the struggle and what it stands for.

While he praised the national honours, he, however, said there were several omissions of heroes on the list.

The distinguished writer took a swipe at Nigerians who trivialize the sacrifices made in the struggle for the actualization of June 12 by lying to Nigerians that they participated in the June 12 struggle, whereas they did not.

He warned that no one should make light of the weight and importance of the June 12 struggle, as many people died, and many others were greatly injured by the military junta, which killed, tortured, and imprisoned Nigerians at the time.

Soyinka then urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately launch a probe into the strange circumstances that led to the deaths of some Nigerians during the June 12 struggle, including the likes of Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, and Kudirat Abiola, to give some closure to the matter.

He, however,  revealed that he will be dedicating his honours to the memory of Late Beko Ransome-Kuti, who he described as not just a defender of human rights, champion of good governance, and campaigner for democracy, but also brainy, intelligent, resourceful, and willing to take dare-devil risks.