Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former Military Head of State, has revealed how a soothsayer in 1952, predicted that Gen. Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida, IBB, would one day emerge as Nigeria’s Head of State.
He said the prediction was made 33 years before IBB became Nigeria’s leader.
Abubakar, a childhood friend of the General spoke on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of IBB’s memoir titled, ‘A Journey In Service’.
The event was attended by President Bola Tinubu, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Yemi Osinbajo, among others dignitaries.
Narrating the prediction in front of the audience, Abdulsalami, a neighbour of IBB in Minna, went down memory lane.
He explained that while they were growing up in Minna about 80 years ago, precisely in 1952, a soothsayer told them that IBB was going to rule the country.
According to him, “We never believed him. Then Captain Gowon, a young smart officer, lured us to join the military and when we joined the army, all our hope was to get to the rank of a captain and retire.”
He added that God in His mercy propelled them to become generals and by the grace of God, both of them later became heads of state, stressing that no moment goes by when they remember their escapades that it doesn’t bring smiles to their faces.
As it turned out, both leaders would go on to rule Africa’s most populous nation at different times as generals.
While lBB was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1985 to 1993, Abubakar served as head of state from 1998 to 1999 and midwifed the transition to civil rule.
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‘How A Soothsayer Predicted in 1952 that IBB Would Rule Nigeria’ – Abdulsalami Abubakar (video)