Baba Gana Kingibe

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Babagana Kingibe
Shehu Yar'Adua
Personal details
Born (1945-06-25) 25 June 1945 (age 79)
Borno, Northern Region,
British Nigeria
(now Borno State, Nigeria)
Political partyAll Progressives Congress[2]
(2015–present)
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionDiplomat

Babagana Kingibe

six heads of state; most recently as a member of the inner circle of President Muhammadu Buhari.[3]

In 1993, he was the vice-presidential

Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995, Minister of Internal Affairs from 1995 to 1997; and later Minister of Power and Steel from 1997 to 1998.[4][5]

Early years

Kingibe was born on 25 June 1945 in Borno to a Kanuri family. His mother, Ya Kingi Mallam died when he was four years old. His father, Mustafa Shuwa was a shoemaker who later became the clerk of the Borno Native Authority.[6]

Kingibe grew up in

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Switzerland but left before receiving his degree.[9][10]

In 1969, he returned to Nigeria where he taught

civil servants and military officers from Northern Nigeria.[12] Kingibe left the university towards the end of the Nigerian Civil War, being employed by the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (now Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) as head of current affairs and features department.[13]

Early diplomatic career

In 1972, he joined the Nigerian Foreign Service as an external affairs officer.

national delimitation, local government reforms and the constitutional drafting committee of the Second Nigerian Republic.[14]

He simultaneously served as the Principal Political Secretary in the Office of the President between 1976 and 1981, serving both General Olusegun Obasanjo and President Shehu Shagari. In 1981, at the age of 36, he was appointed the Nigerian Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus serving from 1981 to 1984; and later served as Nigerian Ambassador to Pakistan.[15] In 1986, military president General Ibrahim Babangida appointed Kingibe as Permanent Secretary of Special Services, overseeing the activities of security and intelligence services; and liaising with the military presidency.[16] He later served as the Secretary of the Constituent Assembly from 1988 to 1989.[citation needed]

Political career

Party politics

Kingibe entered party politics in the build-up to the transition of the Third Nigerian Republic. In 1988, he was made director of organization of the People's Front of Nigeria (PFN) which consisted of politicians such as Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila and Rabiu Kwankwaso, which was then led by Shehu Musa Yar'Adua.[17] The front later joined with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1989.

During the conduct of elections for national executive positions in the party, Kingibe was sponsored by the People's Front faction of SDP as the party's chairman, a position he went on to clinch. As party chairman, Kingibe was involved in the organization of party's gubernatorial and presidential primaries in 1991 and 1992 respectively. After the cancellations of the 1992 presidential primaries in which Shehu Yar'Adua emerged as a candidate, Kingibe put himself forward as presidential candidate.

1993 presidential election

Further information: Third Nigerian Republic and 1993 Nigerian presidential election

Utilizing his chairmanship over the party, Kingibe made a split from the Shehu Yar'Adua led People's Front group, using his relationship with SDP governors and state party chairmen to build his presidential campaign. The results after the first ballot of the presidential primaries held in Jos was:

Vice-presidential
running mate, creating a Muslim-Muslim ticket which was initially thought to be a deal breaker in the elections.

The results though not officially declared by the National Electoral Commission – showed the duo of Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe of the

Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan. As interim president, Shonekan initially appointed Abiola as his Vice President, who refused to recognize the interim government, the crisis lingered on culminating in the seizure of power of General Sani Abacha
.

Political assignments since 1993

Since 1993, Kingibe has served in successive military and civilian governments. In 1993, Kingibe joined the

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, before later leaving his studies to return to diplomatic service.[22]

Kingibe served from October 2002 to September 2006 as the

Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2007 presidential election[24] won by Umaru Yar'Adua, it was widely believed that Kingibe considered running for the presidency, before later joining the Yar'Adua administration.[25]

In June 2007, he was appointed

hospitalization in Saudi Arabia, Kingibe was unceremoniously removed from office for allegedly plotting with General Abdullahi Mohammed to remove Yar'Adua from power due to his poor health.[28] Following his removal from office, Kingibe maintained a low profile and later became critical of President Goodluck Jonathan's for his inability to suppress the insurgency in the North-East.[29][30]

After the

inauguration committee.[32] Since then,[33] he has gone on to feature prominently alongside Abba Kyari as a powerful behind the scenes decision-maker[34] – shaping the administrations intelligence and foreign policy.[35] In February 2018, Kingibe denied campaigning for the 2019 presidential election.[36][37] In June 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari recognized June 12 as Democracy Day and awarded Kingibe the second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.[38] On 31 May 2021,[39] Kingibe was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to his cabinet as Special Envoy on Chad and the Lake Chad Region.[40][41]

Honours

National honours

Country Decoration Presenter Notes
Nigeria Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON); President Muhammadu Buhari Second highest national honour in Nigeria.

Foreign honours

Country Decoration Presenter Notes
Cameroon Officer of the Order of Valour (OV);[13] President Paul Biya National honour in Cameroon. Awarded for high services to the State.

See also

  • Minister of Foreign Affairs (Nigeria)

References

  1. ^ "A look at the 1988 constituent assembly debate". nigeriaworld.com. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  2. ^ "2019: Kingibe Revives SDP To Replace NPDP". Independent Nigeria. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Buhari appoints Kingibe as special envoy on Chad basin". Premium Times. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  4. ISBN 978-0-903274-17-3
    .
  5. ^ "Kingibe, a burnt out grass". Vanguard. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Baba Gana Kingibe @ 70". The Nation. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  7. ^ "The Sun Award Winners 2020: Babagana Kingibe: Iconic Diplomat and Political Strategist". The Sun. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  8. ^ Adebajo, 'Kunle (23 September 2019). "Kyari, Daura, others in Buhari's kitchen cabinet have two things in common: journalism, UK education". The ICIR. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  9. ^ Eric (2020-05-02). "Abba Kyari's Shoes: Who Steps In?". TheBoss Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-01-27.
  10. ^ "Beyond the Pandemic: Mobilising International Cooperation for Nigeria's Post-COVID Development" (PDF). Paros Peace Forum. 10 November 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Baba Gana Kingibe @ 70". The Nation. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  12. ^ Daura, Mamman. "Ibrahim Tahir: An Appreciation". Gamji. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  13. ^ a b Babah, Chinedu (28 February 2017). "KINGIBE, Baba Gana". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  14. ^ African Concord (1990). The New Helmsmen. Concord Press, Ikeja, Lagos. 13 August 1990.
  15. ^ "BABA, Gana Kingibe". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  16. ^ "OSGF - Special Services Office". www.osgf.gov.ng. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  17. ^ Sobowale, Rasheed (7 April 2020). "Top Nigeria politics forum: Liberating Nigeria". Vanguard. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  18. ^ a b "DTN-27-11-17". 27 November 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2020 – via Issuu.
  19. ISBN 9789788431657
    .
  20. ^ "Throwback: Why I Dumped Abiola- Baba Gana Kingibe". The News. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  21. ^ Owolabi, Femi (17 June 2019). "Kingibe: I chose Abacha over Abiola because of national interest". TheCable. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Baba Gana Kingibe @ 70". Vanguard. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  23. ^ "African Union names Special Representative to Sudan - Sudan". ReliefWeb. 11 November 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  24. ^ Epia, Oke (15 September 2006). "Kingibe Declares for PDP". This Day. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  25. ^ "The Return of Baba Gana Kingibe". www.gamji.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  26. ^ Idowu Adelusi. Kingibe to move to Aso Rock Villa?. Nigerian Tribune, 7 July 2007.
  27. ^ "Nigerian leader appears in public". BBC News. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Nigeria president exerts authority in power struggle". Mail & Guardian. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  29. ^ "Boko Haram: Borno, Yobe elders allege complicity of security agencies in terror attacks". Premium Times. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Again, Helicopter Sighted Dropping Arms, Food, Medicine For Boko Haram Fighters". News Rangers. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  31. ^ "APC's victory laid June 12 ghost to rest – Kingibe". Pointblank News. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  32. ^ Enietan-Matthews, Timothy (23 April 2015). "May 29: Anyim, Sylvia head Buhari Inauguration Committee". Daily Post. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  33. ^ Odunsi, Wale (1 November 2015). "Unveil your policies, Nigerians running out of patience - Kingibe tells Buhari". Daily Post. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  34. ^ "Old fox, Baba Gana Kingibe is Nigeria's defacto Prime Minister". Daily Correspondents. 28 August 2016. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  35. ^ "$44m NIA missing fund: Kingibe intimidates Reps into closed-door session". Vanguard. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  36. ^ Abdulaziz, Abdulaziz (3 February 2018). "2019: Why I can't contest against Buhari - Babagana Kingibe". Premium Times. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  37. ^ "Kingibe Divides IBB, Buhari, OBJ and Atiku, Widens 2019 Power Struggle". Intervention. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  38. ^ Ezugwu, Obinna (26 August 2020). "Kingibe: Power broker who could be Chief of Staff - and President". Hallmark News. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  39. ^ "Nigerian Leader Appoints Special Envoy On Chad, Lake Chad". Barron's. AFP-Agence France Presse. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  40. ^ "OSGF - President Buhari Appoints Amb. Babagana Kingibe as Special Envoy". Premium Times. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  41. ^ "Chad/Nigeria : Buhari and Kingibe pursue their top-secret mediation efforts in N'Djamena". Africa Intelligence. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
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