Dr. Ope Banwo, has called on the Nigerian military to apologise for what he described as decades of political interventions that disrupted the country’s democratic development and weakened its institutions.
Banwo made the call on Armed Forces Remembrance Day, as Nigeria marked the annual event honouring fallen soldiers and celebrating the armed forces. He argued that the occasion should also serve as a moment of national reflection on the military’s historical role in governance.
According to Banwo, Nigeria’s relationship with military rule has followed a recurring pattern in which civilian governments struggle, the military intervenes under the pretext of national rescue, and the country emerges more politically and institutionally fragile.
While acknowledging that Nigeria’s early civilian leaders contributed to instability through electoral malpractice, ethnic divisions, and political violence, Banwo said military takeovers failed to correct those problems and instead deepened them.
He traced the country’s democratic disruption to the first military coup in 1966, noting that it ushered in a cycle of interventions that normalised the use of force in politics and eventually led to the Nigerian Civil War.
Banwo described the period of military rule as a significant setback to national development, arguing that prolonged interventions entrenched excessive centralisation of power and weakened democratic institutions.
He also criticised successive military regimes for repeatedly justifying their actions with promises to end corruption and restore discipline, stating that such pledges were not matched by outcomes.
According to him, military rule produced a powerful elite class that accumulated influence and wealth, while ordinary citizens endured repression, economic hardship, and institutional decline.
Banwo further argued that the military never fully disengaged from political power after the return to civilian rule, but instead retained significant influence through retired officers who continued to play prominent roles in politics and governance.
He warned against renewed calls for military intervention in response to current governance and security challenges, stressing that the armed forces must remain subordinate to civilian authority in a democratic society.
Banwo said the military’s constitutional responsibility is to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity and address growing insecurity, including terrorism and banditry, rather than intervene in politics.
Staring that “In a civilised society, the gun must always answer to the constitution,” Banwo concluded by calling for a national reckoning, saying an apology would represent accountability rather than condemnation.
