Public commentator, Dr. Ope Banwo, has known as on the Nigerian navy to apologise for what he described as many years of political intervention that disrupted Nigeria’s democratic development and weakened its establishments.
Banwo made the decision on Armed Forces Remembrance Day, arguing that repeated navy takeovers didn’t rescue the nation from early post-independence challenges however as an alternative deepened instability and entrenched authoritarian governance.
While acknowledging that Nigeria’s early civilian leaders contributed to political chaos via electoral malpractice and ethnic tensions, Banwo maintained that navy coups worsened the scenario. He famous that the primary coup in 1966 triggered a cycle of interventions that culminated in civil struggle, institutional breakdown, and long-term political trauma.
According to Banwo, successive navy regimes promised to struggle corruption, restore self-discipline, and sanitise governance, however did not ship lasting reforms.
“Rather than ending corruption, they professionalised it,” he mentioned, including that navy rule created a strong elite class that continues to wield affect in politics and enterprise lengthy after the return to civilian rule.
Banwo argued that the navy by no means absolutely relinquished energy, however merely exchanged uniforms for civilian apparel, abandoning a tradition the place constitutional authority is commonly handled as non-obligatory.
He burdened that in democratic societies, the armed forces should stay subordinate to civilian management, warning in opposition to any renewed urge for food for navy intervention in governance.
“The military is not Nigeria’s emergency solution to political failure,” Banwo mentioned, urging the armed forces to concentrate on their constitutional duty of securing the nation amid rising insecurity.
He concluded by calling for a nationwide reckoning, insisting that an apology would acknowledge the hurt brought on by repeated navy interventions and reaffirm the supremacy of the structure.
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