Thread by @jacksonpbn

Babagana Kingibe was MKO Abiola's running mate. He left Abiola during the struggle, joined the Abacha's Govt and served as Foreign Affairs Minister. He laundered the junta's image abroad. I spoke with him in 1998 and for the first time after the annulment of June 12. A THREAD:

In 1998, as a young General Purpose Reporter for the Diet Newspapers, I went to Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, to attend a function organized by the Nigerian Society of Engineers. The event was attended by Babagana Kingibe. While the event was on, he left the high table. I followed him.

Kingibe entered the men's bathroom to ease himself. I did the same. When he came out, he reached out to his Agbada and brought out a packet of cigarette to smoke. I stood a few meters away from him while he puffed and gazed around. He noticed I was looking at him and I smiled.

Kingibe smiled back at me and that became the invitation to go closer and say Hello to the man who was Abiola's running mate and who had never spoken to the Press since after the annulment and since his involvement with the Abacha's govt. As I worked up to him, I began rehearsing

I was rehearsing how to start, knowing that I was going to meet someone I have read about to be a very intelligent man. I was in between also recalling the June 12 struggle, the killings and deaths, the role politicians played and so many things running through my mind.

I greeted him and he reached out for a handshake. I introduced myself as a journalist from The Diet Newspapers. he told me he knows my publisher, Chief James Ibori. He told me no interview but we could just talk off the record. While we talked, he made so many newsworthy comments

So, I couldn't take it anymore, I begged him for an interview. I told him my Editors, Niran Malaolu, Tokunbo Oloruntola, Sheddy Ozoene would all be mad at me if they know I had talks with him without a recorded interview. I begged and begged. He patted me on the head and obliged.

He said he is obliging because he sees me as a young reporter who has shown intelligence and he wants to encourage me. I immediately brought out my tape recorder, shaking and sweating. I asked him about the June 12 struggle, why he abandoned Abiola, why he joined Abacha etc.

Kingibe told me he did not abandon Abiola. He told me that Abiola decided to carry on with the June 12 struggle without him. He told me that all the meetings Abiola had after the election, he was not consulted. He said Abiola appeared more comfortable with South West politicians.

He told me that Abiola reduced the struggle to a Southwest struggle. He said people who were not there during the campaign have suddenly hijacked the struggle. I asked him if that was enough reason to abandon the struggle. He said he could not force himself if he was not needed.

He said his decision to serve Abacha as Foreign Affairs Minister was not to spite Abiola and the struggle. He said he wanted to use the opportunity to see how he can convince Abacha to release Abiola and handover to him. As the interview rolled on, he brought another cigarette.

He said as a Kanuri man, he knew how best to convince Abacha, a Kanuri man also, to let Abiola go. He said the June 12 election was annulled by Babangida in connivance with some top serving and retired Generals who never wanted Abiola as President. I asked him to name them.

Kingibe would not name those whom he accused of conniving with Babangida to annul the election. He said history would judge them but continued to insist that his joining Abacha was not a betrayal of the June 12 struggle. After the interview, I abandoned the NSE event.

As Kingibe returned to the event after smoking about 3 cigarettes while the interview lasted, I raced to the bus stop, took a bus to Yaba and headed straight to Sabo Yaba where Diet Newspapers was headquartered and ran straight to my Group News Editor, Tokuboh Oloruntola.

An excited Oloruntola announced to the Editor, Niran Malaolu "Eshin, (Horse, in Yoruba) has done it again. He has Kingibe exclusive." It was not long I had Umaro Dikko. I was summoned upstairs to go see Malaolu with the tape. he listened to it, confirmed it was Kingibe. BANG!

The interview made the front page of The Diet and the front page of Sunday Diet, edited then by Sheddy Ozoene. With the other one, I had with Umaro Dikko where he told me how he was almost smuggled in a crate back to Nigeria from London by Buhari's goons, I became a star Reporter

Since History is no longer taught in schools, this serves as my own account of what kingibe told me about the June 12 and his decision to serve Abacha.
God who knows the content of man's heart judge us all!

*As I walked up to him, I began rehearsing