Banwo Urges Military to Apologise for Disrupting Nigeria’s Democratic Path
Public commentator, Dr. Ope Banwo, has called on the Nigerian military to apologise for what he described as decades of political intervention that disrupted Nigeria’s democratic growth and weakened its institutions.
Banwo made the call on Armed Forces Remembrance Day, arguing that repeated military takeovers did not rescue the country from early post-independence challenges but instead deepened instability and entrenched authoritarian governance.
While acknowledging that Nigeria’s early civilian leaders contributed to political chaos through electoral malpractice and ethnic tensions, Banwo maintained that military coups worsened the situation. He noted that the first coup in 1966 triggered a cycle of interventions that culminated in civil war, institutional breakdown, and long-term political trauma.
According to Banwo, successive military regimes promised to fight corruption, restore discipline, and sanitise governance, but failed to deliver lasting reforms.
“Rather than ending corruption, they professionalised it,” he said, adding that military rule created a powerful elite class that continues to wield influence in politics and business long after the return to civilian rule.
Banwo argued that the military never fully relinquished power, but merely exchanged uniforms for civilian attire, leaving behind a culture where constitutional authority is often treated as optional.
He stressed that in democratic societies, the armed forces must remain subordinate to civilian leadership, warning against any renewed appetite for military intervention in governance.
“The military is not Nigeria’s emergency solution to political failure,” Banwo said, urging the armed forces to focus on their constitutional responsibility of securing the country amid rising insecurity.
He concluded by calling for a national reckoning, insisting that an apology would acknowledge the harm caused by repeated military interventions and reaffirm the supremacy of the constitution.
