WHY BUHARI WAS OVERTHROWN IN 1985

Read the coup speech from August 27, 1985
when General Muhammadu Buhari (now
President Muhammadu Buhari) was
overthrown.
I, Brigadier Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro, of the
Nigerian Army, hereby make the following
declaration on behalf of my colleagues and
members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Fellow country men, the intervention of the
military at the end of 1983 was welcomed by
the nation with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Nigerians were unified in accepting the
intervention and looked forward hopefully to
progressive changes for the better.
Almost two years later, it has become clear
that the fulfillment of expectations is not
forthcoming. Because this generation of
Nigerians and indeed future generations have
no other country but Nigeria, we could not
stay passive and watch a small group of
individuals misuse power to the detriment of
our national aspirations and interest.
No nation can ever achieve meaningful
strides in its development where there is an
absence of cohesion in the hierarchy of
government; where it has become clear that
positive action by the policy makers is
hindered because as a body it lacks a unity
of purpose.
It is evident that the nation would be
endangered with the risk of continuous
misdirection. We are presently confronted
with that danger. In such a situation, if
action can be taken to arrest further
damage, it should and must be taken. This
is precisely what we have done. The Nigerian
public has been made to believe that the
slow pace of action of the Federal
Government headed by Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari was due to the enormity
of the problems left by the last civilian
administration.
Although it is true that a lot of problems
were left behind by the last civilian
government, the real reason, however, for the
very slow pace of action is due to lack of
unanimity of purpose among the ruling body;
subsequently, the business of governance
has gradually been subjected to ill-motivated
power play considerations. The ruling body,
the Supreme Military Council, has, therefore,
progressively been made redundant by the
actions of a select few members charged
with the day-to-day implementation of the
SMC’s policies and decision.
The concept of collective leadership has been
substituted by stubborn and illadvised
unilateral actions, thereby destroying the
principles upon which the government came
to power. Any effort made to advise the
leadership, met with stubborn resistance and
was viewed as a challenge to authority or
disloyalty. Thus, the scene was being set for
systematic elimination of what, was termed
oppositions. All the energies of the rulership
were directed at this imaginary opposition
rather than to effective leadership. The result
of this misdirected effort is now very evident
in the country as a whole. The government
has started to drift. The economy does not
seem to be getting any better as we witness
daily increased inflation. The nation’s
meager resources are once again being
wasted on unproductive ventures.
Government has distanced itself from the
people and the yearnings and aspirations of
the people as constantly reflected in the
media have been ignored. This is because a
few people have arrogated to themselves the
right to make the decisions for the larger
part of the ruling body. All these events have
shown that the present composition of our
country’s leadership cannot, therefore, justify
its continued occupation of that position.
Furthermore, the initial objectives and
programmes of action which were meant to
have been implemented since the ascension
to power of the Buhari Administration in
January 1984 have been betrayed and
discarded. The present state of uncertainty
and stagnation cannot be permitted to
degenerate into suppression and
retrogression. We feel duty bound to use the
resources and means at our disposal to
restore hope in the minds of Nigerians and
renew aspirations for a better future.
We are no prophets of doom for our beloved
country, Nigeria. We, therefore, count on
everyone’s cooperation and assistance. I
appeal to you, fellow countrymen,
particularly my colleagues in arms to refrain
from any act that will lead to unnecessary
violence and bloodshed among us. Rest
assured that our action is in the interest of
the nation and the armed forces.
In order to enable a new order to be
introduced, the following bodies are
dissolved forthwith pending further
announcements: (a) The Supreme Military
Council (b) The Federal Executive Council (c)
The National Council of States. All seaports
and airports are closed, all borders remain
closed. Finally, a dusk to dawn curfew is
hereby imposed in Lagos and all state
capitals until further notice. All military
commanders will ensure effective
maintenance of law and order. Further
announcements will be made in due course.
God bless Nigeria.
Culled from THE CABLE