Retired Captain Aliyu Babangida, a former military intelligence officer and CEO of Goldwater Consults, expresses concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to intervene in the aftermath of a coup in Niger.
He conveyed his thoughts during an extensive interview with Punch newspaper on Sunday, and his viewpoints were condensed by the Spectacles.
Some key points he mentioned during the conversation are as thus:
Babangida believes Tinubu’s approach of sending Anglophone troops to a Francophone country is risky and unlikely to succeed, citing historical examples like the Vietnam War.
He emphasizes that Nigeria’s porous borders with Niger and the linguistic and cultural differences make the military intervention a challenging endeavor.
Babangida suggests that President Tinubu should have used his wisdom and age advantage to pursue diplomatic and coalition-building approaches rather than a military intervention.
He criticizes the ultimatum given to the coup plotters and warns of potential negative consequences for Nigeria’s stature in Africa if the intervention goes wrong.
Babangida also discusses international dynamics, including the support from countries like Algeria, Iran, and Libya for the Nigerien junta, highlighting the complex geopolitical landscape.
He further examines the recurrent military takeovers in West Africa, attributing them to issues of exclusive governance, ideological conflicts, and the lack of inclusivity in political decisions.
Babangida concludes by commenting on President Tinubu’s nomination of ministers and urges caution in assessing their effectiveness in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
