"Abiola’s publishing empire was used to launch frequent vitriolic attacks on the government with the intention of discrediting it sufficiently to psychologically prepare the public for its replacement by a military regime. In his memoirs (Beckoned to Serve), President Shagari later obliquely referred to the financing and support given to military conspirators by an unnamed “well known business tycoon”. Although he declined to name this tycoon, contextually it was an obvious reference to Abiola. Babangida went further in unequivocally confirming Abiola’s role in financing the plot against Shagari and using his influence to destabilise Shagari’s government. He later revealed that Abiola:
“
was also very good in trying to mould the thinking of the media. We relied on him a lot for that.
So there was both the media support and the financial support.” (Karl Maier – Midnight in Nigeria)"
Originally Posted by ttonjo 
According to the famous saying in journalism that:
'Pen is Mightier than Gun', the
silence revolution has started already. It is a matter of education through
pens and papers, and the people will start talking and start asking questions, and no amount of armunitions that, they, the so-called
'evil and heartless cabals in Nigeria', solely relied upon could stop it. Only time will tell.
The press is always pivotal to the growth and success of budding tyrants. They (press) are always courted assidiously by them to help prepare the public psyche to welcome them and create an enabling environment for legitimising their criminal actions. Recent history shows this symbiotic relationship between the the powerful sections of the 4th estate of the realm and our ruling cabals. Often the 'masses' find out the 'truth' only when this 'relationship' breaks down.
Thank God for the development of a robust and
fairly objective section of the Nigerian press. Still, one cannot but continue to wonder how much is being suppressed or not being told in the news we are inundated with daily.
The power of the pen is therefore indisputable; however its moralty and impact is subject to the one who holds it.
IBB was once the darling of the Nigerian press. Were the publishers/editors of the 1985 news media ignorant of his antecedents when they hailed him as the best thing to happen to Nigeria?
So, I'm still curious about the purpose of this piece. Is it an objective or commissioned work? Time will tell....
Nevertheless, it is a well researched and reasoned article.
Ciao