Chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) has revealed that the top military hierarchy once directed him to stop the emergence of Senator Bola Tinubu as Lagos State governor during the 1999 transition to civil rule.
Marwa, who served as military administrator of Lagos State from 1996 to 1999, made the revelation in Abuja yesterday while delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of Buni Boy, a book written by the late legal luminary, Niyi Ayoola-Daniels.
Marwa described Nigeria's diversity as "a gift and a trust" that must be safeguarded, recalling how his own life experiences shaped his deep conviction in unity.
He noted that the story captured in Buni Boy resonated strongly with him because it reflected the Nigeria of the 1960s, a country where people related with one another without prejudice to ethnicity.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Marwa said his upbringing across different regions-Zaria, Enugu, Abeokuta and Lagos, as well as his years at the Nigeria Military School, Zaria, instilled in him a lifelong appreciation of Nigeria's cultural mix.
"Living in different sociocultural settings taught me early that people of other tongues and traditions are still my own," he said, "The Nigerian Army, where I served for over 30 years, is built on a foundation of unity and strengthened my belief that our diversity enriches us."
Reflecting on his tenure in Lagos, Marwa said the Yoruba people embraced him warmly despite their political hostility to the federal military government at the time. That support, he noted, inspired him to conduct one of the most credible elections in the state's history.
He, however, disclosed for the first time that he faced pressure from military authorities who were uncomfortable with Tinubu's rising popularity and his pro-democracy activism through the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
"Even though the Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, did not interfere in the conduct of the governorship election, the military hierarchy did," Marwa said, "After seeing Senator Tinubu's strong campaign, they instructed me to prevent him from becoming governor because of his NADECO activities against the military government. But I chose to conduct a free and fair election that produced the most popular candidate. The rest today is history."
Marwa emphasised that Nigeria's challenges stem largely from the poor management of its diversity, but insisted that these issues should motivate citizens to strengthen the bonds of unity rather than promote division.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Our difficulties cannot justify tearing the nation apart," he warned. "They should instead push us to repair the fault lines and pursue greater inclusion," he said.
He commended Mrs. Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, widow of the author, for preserving her husband's legacy through the Buni Yadi Foundation and the publication of Buni Boy. Marwa said the story of the young boy transformed by the wisdom of a principled judge in the 1960s speaks to the very heart of the Nigerian spirit.
The event, attended by dignitaries from across the country, celebrated the life of Ayoola-Daniels and the values of justice, unity, and compassion that he championed.
