An haifi Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida a ranar 17 ga Agusta, 1941, a Minna, jihar Neja da ke arewacin Nijeriya, inda Babangida ya sami horon aikin soja a Najeriya da Indiya da Birtaniya da Amurka. Ya ci gaba da ɗaukaka a matsayi kuma an san shi da jajircewa—ya taka muhimmiyar rawa wajen murkushe wani yunƙurin juyin mulki a shekarar 1976 lokacin da ya taka da ƙafa ya shiga gidan rediyon da ‘yan tawaye suka kama ba tare da ɗauke da makami ba.
Bayan da Murtala Mohammed ya zama shugaban mulkin soja a shekarar 1975, Babangida ya shiga Majalisar Koli ta Sojoji (Supreme Military Council). Ya taka rawar gani a juyin mulkin da ya ƙorar da gwamnatin farar hula ta Shehu Shagari tare da maye gurbinta da gwamnatin soja ƙarƙashin jagorancin Muhammadu Buhari. Sai dai kuma, rashin gamsuwa mai zurfi da tsauraran manufofin shugabanci na Buhari ya sa Babangida ya hambarar da Buhari a watan Agusta 1985.
Babangida ya rage takunkumin da gwamnati ta sanya wa manema labarai sannan ya saki wasu da dama da ake tsare da su daga tsohuwar gwamnatin farar hula. Sai dai kuma, ya fuskanci matsalolin tattalin arziki irin waɗanda Buhari ya yi fama da su, gami da irin rashin gamsuwar da mutanen gida suka nuna.
Ya cimma yarjejeniya da Asusun Ba da Lamuni na Duniya (IMF) kuma ya sami sabbin rance daga Babban Bankin Duniya (World Bank), amma hakan ya haifar da faɗuwar darajar naira (kuɗin ƙasar), wanda kuma ya yi sanadiyyar tarzoma a tsakanin al’umma. Ya magance wannan matsala ta hanyar rusa wani ɓangare na Ƙungiyar Ƙwadago ta Najeriya (NLC) da kuma rufe jami’o’i na wani lokaci.
Babangida ya sanar a farkon shekarar 1986 cewa za a ƙafa gwamnatin farar hula a shekarar 1990, inda daga baya ya tsawaita wa’adin da shekaru biyu domin bayar da ƙarin lokaci don shiri. Ya ƙafa dokar cewa babu wani ɗan siyasa daga gwamnatocin farar hula na baya ko kuma jami’in soja mai riƙe da madafun iko da zai iya tsayawa takara. Bai bayar da damar ƙafa jam’iyyun siyasa ba a lokacin mika mulki, kuma jam’iyyu biyu kacal ya amince wa lokacin da aka fara yaƙin neman zaɓe.
Da yake nuna rashin gamsuwa da tsarin yadda ake fitar da sabbin jam’iyyun siyasa, gwamnatin Babangida ta ƙafa nata jam’iyyun, wato National Republican Convention (NRC) da kuma Social Democratic Party (SDP). A matsayin wani mataki na nuna cewa yana da cikakken iko, Babangida ya rusa Majalisar Gudanarwa ta Shugabannin Sojoji (Armed Forces Ruling Council) domin maye gurbinta da ƙananan hukumomi, sannan ya ƙori da yawa daga cikin amintattun abokan aikinsa na soja.
Wani yunƙurin juyin mulki da aka yi a watan Afrilu 1990 ƙarƙashin jagorancin Manjo Gideon Orkar, wanda ya wakilci wasu jihohin musulmin arewa a yunƙurinsu na ɓallewa daga abin da suke kallo a matsayin ƙasa mai cin hanci da rashawa—kuma mafi mahimmanci—marar tsarin Musulunci, an murkushe shi cikin sauri. Daga baya Babangida ya sanar cewa Najeriya ta dakatar da kasancewarta mamba a Ƙungiyar Haɗin Kan Ƙasashen Musulmi (OIC) a daidai lokacin da ‘yan kudancin Najeriya ke zargin cewa yana ƙoƙarin mayar da ƙasar ta zama ta Musulunci. An kammala canjin babban birnin tarayya daga Legas zuwa Abuja, wani wuri da ke tsakiyar Najeriya, a ƙarƙashin Babangida a shekarar 1991.
Cikar alƙawarin Babangida na komawa ga gwamnatin farar hula ya zama kamar gaske lokacin da aka gudanar da zaɓen shugaban ƙasa a shekarar 1993. Sakamakon farko ya nuna cewa ɗan kasuwa Moshood Abiola, ɗan takarar jam’iyyar SDP, shi ne ya lashe zaɓen, amma ƙafin a sanar da sakamakon a hukumance, Babangida ya soke zaɓen—bayanin da ya zama mai cike da cece-kuce da kuma rashin farinjini.
Sakamakon hargitsin jama’a da ya biyo baya, ya mika ragamar mulkin ƙasar ga wani kwamitin riƙon ƙwarya na farar hula ƙarƙashin jagorancin ɗan kasuwa Ernest Shonekan sannan ya yi murabus daga gwamnati. A shekarar 2025, Babangida ya nuna nadamarsa game da soke zaɓen.
A matakin yanki, Babangida ya taka rawar gani wajen sauya alƙiblar Ƙungiyar Tattalin Arzikin Ƙasashen Yammacin Afirka (ECOWAS). Kodayake ƙungiyar ta kasance ta tattalin arziki ce kawai da can, Babangida ya yi nasarar ganin ECOWAS ta yi amfani da dakarun sa ido na ECOMOG domin dawo da kwanciyar hankali a Laberiya bayan barkewar yaƙin basasa a ƙasar.