Dare Babalola
Human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has tackled the former president of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina for describing former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), as a statesman.
Earlier, Adesina, in a birthday post, hailed Babangida as one of Nigeria’s “foremost elder-statesmen”.
Adesina praised the former Head of State’s “patriotic fervor, devotion and commitment to Nigeria’s peace, unity and progress,” while wishing him continued good health as he marked his 84th birthday.
However, the description did not sit well with Farotimi, who took to his X account on Tuesday to fault it.
The activist said celebrating Babangida with such titles only helps to normalise the “evils” he claimed the former leader visited on Nigerians.
“Not telling these ruinous cretins exactly what they are, contributes towards the normalization of the evils that they have visited on the people, and this mutual affirmation strategy is what has helped to sustain the evil. IBB is no statesman, and you can stop lying to yourself,” he wrote.
