A former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has explained why Nigeria has not experienced military intervention in its democratic journey since 1999.

Giving specific insight into how he handled the challenge when he was in office, Mr. Obasanjo revealed how he cleverly placed senior military officers on compulsory retirement.

“On assuming office as president, I decided to put an end to these incessant coups. I asked the military to submit the list of all officers who had either participated in coups in the past or benefited in the dividends of coups by being appointed to political office as governors or ministers,” the former president wrote.

“Not knowing what the list was meant for, the military faithfully compiled it and submitted to me as the commander-in-chief and chairman of council of each of the arms of service. Ninety-three officers in all were given six hours’ notice of retirement on a Friday, and ordered not to spend the Friday night in uniform or in barracks to prevent adverse reaction.

“The following Monday, the service council met to ratify the retirement of all the officers. From my vantage position and background as a battle-tested and war-victorious general, I knew that an officer out of uniform and barracks is like a fish out of water, and their power and influence would be greatly diminished.

“The retirement of these 93 officers all in one day was salutary. It meant that taking part in a coup ot benefitting from one could catch up with you, no matter how long it would takes, and for as long as you are alive,” he explained.





Mr. Obasanjo, who first ruled Nigeria as a military head of state between 1976 and 1979, later governed the nation as a democratically elected leader between 1999 and 2007.

While giving insights into how nations of the world can put an end to military interventions, the former president explained that no matter the excuse, military interventions had major negative impact on democracy, governance and unity of Nigeria.

He, however, argued that the often prescribed solution of specifically putting a ban on coups in the constitution was not the answer.


“A coup is a treason punishable by death only if it fails, and yet it puts the plotter in the State House if it succeeds. It was a destructive and destabilising practice, wasteful for the military itself, and undermining in terms of discipline, good order and military conduct,” Mr. Obasanjo wrote.

“A junior officer takes a gun and looks at his political boss and senior officers through its sights, bumps them off and puts himself in the State House.

“He instantly becomes superior and senior to all political and military officers. Such was the situation existing in Nigeria between 1966 and 1999.”


Mr. Obasanjo, however, noted that the officers’ retirement did not stand in the way of any of them entering public life or making progress in it.

“Some of them later entered politics and became elected governors; some went into parliament; others got appointed as ministers and ambassadors,” he wrote.

“The idea was not to punish them for life but to exclude them from positions in the military where they could be coup planners, coup plotters, coup executors or coup beneficiaries.


“And once an officer has tasted the trappings of a political life, of living in a government house, with free food and so on, he would easily look for excuses to want more if he is in a position to make it happen.”

Explaining why the nation hasn’t experienced such incidence of coup d’etat, the former president said the measure was quite effective even if it wasn’t perfect.

“The fact that since 1999, there has not been a coup or an attempted coup in Nigeria speaks to the effectiveness of the measures taken to put an end to the destabilizing influence of coups on the political life and dispensation of Nigeria.

“Before 1999, and since independence, the longest that a democratic dispensation had lasted was six years –from 1960 to 1966.

Having killed military generals in a plane crash. Pls

Wow

Everyone dey play the game. Igbo, yoruba, hausa and what have you. But na only some people dey wail if things no go their way.

Don't hate the player, hate the game. Aswear, Badass plans, Yorubas get am, exact same reason I voted BAT.

chamboi1:
Having killed military generals in a plane crash. Pls

It is better for them to be killed in a plane crash than to plunge the nation into the darkness of military dictatorship..

Even if my brother is among the coup plotter, kill him..

Democracy and Democratic values must prevail and reign supreme

Olusegun Obasanjo remains Nigeria's best president. Nobody comes close to that record.

Unfortunately, in his time, there was no social media for people to document everything he did.

SmartPolician:
Obasanjo remains Nigeria's best president. Nobody comes close to that record.

Unfortunately, in his time, there was no social media for people to document everything he did himself.

men... I think we need military coup to resett the heads of our politicians

lazkizz:
men... I think we need military coup to resett the heads of our politicians

I beg to differ because we don't.

Military rule will set Nigeria backwards for decades. It was the same military that produced Gen Sani Abacha whose misrule almost dragged Nigeria into another civil war. A general whose death was celebrated across the country.

We just need patience; we will get it right. Darkness cannot triumph over light forever. What we need is to continuously improve our electoral process with technology because technology promotes transparency.

Also, enlighten our people like Peter Obi is doing to understand the implications of selling their votes and their power to determine their future. When politicians realize that they can be kicked for incompetence, everyone will sit up.

That's how a society collectively makes progress. My biggest concern is that other countries we should be better than are miles ahead of us because we keep electing idiots to run the country.

I am still curious how it is only Abacha loots they continue to find after 20+ years. What about those before and after him?

Was he sloppy in keeping stolen money? Because anyone with basic knowledge of money laundering could do better

tommy589:
I am still curious how it is only Abacha loots they continue to find after 20+ years. What about those before and after him?

Was he sloppy in keeping stolen money? Because anyone with basic knowledge of money laundering could do better

during abachas time, the country was sanctioned and like many sanctioned nations. They are ways in which the sanctioned country deal with financial and monitory policy to outwit the pain of the section. This is done in offshore accounts , nations which are tax havens and also putting the money not in the countries name but names of trusted individual and business people who will be mostly business people. Abachas loot in all honesty is not a looted money in the sense or it. The sad thing is the fact that he died and many people who know this fact won’t come out since it will seem like supporting an allegedly known fact and indirectly be part of the process . Aside from the argument as regard the loot, as we call it. Sani abacha wasn’t prepared to let go of power. But for his death. The nation was free.

KillerCrocodile:


It is better for them to be killed in a plane crash than to plunge the nation into the darkness of military dictatorship..

Even if my brother is among the coup plotter, kill him..

Democracy and Democratic values must prevail and reign supreme

them dey do press up,dey gather muscle

Hohaiiiode:
during abachas time, the country was sanctioned and like many sanctioned nations. They are ways in which the sanctioned country deal with financial and monitory policy to outwit the pain of the section. This is done in offshore accounts , nations which are tax havens and also putting the money not in the countries name but names of trusted individual and business people who will be mostly business people. Abachas loot in all honesty is not a looted money in the sense or it. The sad thing is the fact that he died and many people who know this fact won’t come out since it will seem like supporting an allegedly known fact and indirectly be part of the process . Aside from the argument as regard the loot, as we call it. Sani abacha wasn’t prepared to let go of power. But for his death. The nation was free.

I finally found found someone with same view on Abacha loot. I was the odd one out of multitudes I witnessed celebrating his death. But is the nation really free?

Including bring all power to excustive! Our judiciary is were toothless bulldog

Hohaiiiode:
during abachas time, the country was sanctioned and like many sanctioned nations. They are ways in which the sanctioned country deal with financial and monitory policy to outwit the pain of the section. This is done in offshore accounts , nations which are tax havens and also putting the money not in the countries name but names of trusted individual and business people who will be mostly business people. Abachas loot in all honesty is not a looted money in the sense or it. The sad thing is the fact that he died and many people who know this fact won’t come out since it will seem like supporting an allegedly known fact and indirectly be part of the process . Aside from the argument as regard the loot, as we call it. Sani abacha wasn’t prepared to let go of power. But for his death. The nation was free.

Abacha would have been in power like Ugandan and Cameroonian president

SmartPolician:


I beg to differ because we don't.

Military rule will set Nigeria backwards for decades. It was the same military that produced Gen Sani Abacha whose misrule almost dragged Nigeria into another civil war. A general whose death was celebrated across the country.

We just need patience; we will get it right. Darkness cannot triumph over light forever. What we need is to continuously improve our electoral process with technology because technology promotes transparency.

Also, enlighten our people like Peter Obi is doing to understand the implications of selling their votes and their power to determine their future. When politicians realize that they can be kicked for incompetence, everyone will sit up.

That's how a society collectively makes progress. My biggest concern is that other countries we should be better than are miles ahead of us because we keep electing idiots to run the country.

Thank you

KillerCrocodile:


It is better for them to be killed in a plane crash than to plunge the nation into the darkness of military dictatorship..

Even if my brother is among the coup plotter, kill him..

Democracy and Democratic values must prevail and reign supreme

i know you and I'm reporting this to ICC.

Gosh! You're a demon
I lost my dad in that very plane crash. This ruined the family and you're Here spilling this thrash.

"It takes a thief to catch a thief", said Bola Ahmed Tinubu

chamboi1:
i know you and I'm reporting this to ICC.

Gosh! You're a demon
I lost my dad in that very plane crash. This ruined the family and you're Here spilling this thrash.

You are a bigger demon

ICC is too small, report this to the United Nations General Assembly

Balderdash..

KillerCrocodile:


You are a bigger demon

ICC is too small, report this to the United Nations General Assembly

Balderdash..

chamboi1:
Having killed military generals in a plane crash. Pls

Which plane crash?

He made military coup impossible now is to make civilian coup very impossible too . The civilian coup of using the police, INEC, Judiciary, Some Military men, Thugs , Traditional thugs masquerading as Obas, Agberos to win election will be resisted