“The June 12 Saga Was Undeniably the Most Challenging Moment of My Life” – Ibrahim Babangida Admits MKO Abiola Won 1993 Election in New Memoir
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Thirty-two years after the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Nigeria’s former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, has publicly acknowledged that the late philanthropist and democracy hero, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, won the election. This startling admission came in Babangida’s newly launched memoir, A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida, unveiled in Abuja on Thursday with notable dignitaries, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as prominent business figures such as Aliko Dangote and Abdulsamad Rabiu.
In his memoir, Babangida admitted that upon further reflection and careful review of the election results, it was clear that Abiola had indeed won the 1993 election with 8,128,720 votes compared to Bashir Tofa’s 5,848,247 votes. Abiola, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, also secured the necessary one-third of the votes across 28 states, including Abuja.
Babangida, often referred to as the “evil genius” and “Maradona,” acknowledged the deep political and personal ramifications of his actions. He explained that despite earlier doubts regarding Abiola’s victory, a closer examination of the election data convinced him otherwise. He defended his decision to annul the election, justifying it as an act in the national interest, done to preserve stability and avoid greater unrest in the country.
“The June 12 saga was undeniably the most challenging moment of my life and in certain respects, one of the most painful. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it differently,” Babangida confessed in his book.
Babangida further clarified the annulment’s rationale, stating that it was not a personal vendetta against Abiola but a decision made in what he believed was the extreme national interest. “Mistakes, oversights, and missteps happen in quick succession, but I say in my book, in all matters, we acted in extreme national interest so that Nigeria could survive,” Babangida wrote.
The annulment led to widespread protests across Nigeria, and Abiola, buoyed by the undeniable evidence of his electoral victory, declared himself the president. His self-declaration was met with resistance from the military government led by General Sani Abacha, who had been Babangida’s Chief of Defense Staff. Abiola was imprisoned, and his subsequent death in 1998 under suspicious circumstances while still in detention fueled national outrage.
In his memoir, Babangida expressed regret over the events surrounding June 12, acknowledging the emotional and political scars left by his decision. “Looking back now, the June 12 saga was undeniably the most challenging moment of my life and in certain respects, one of the most painful,” he wrote. He also welcomed the 2018 move by President Muhammadu Buhari to officially honor Abiola by moving Nigeria’s Democracy Day to June 12. This move was seen as a symbolic recognition of Abiola’s fight for democracy.
The memoir launch also saw the attendance of various political figures, including President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who acknowledged Babangida’s role in shaping Nigerian history. The event symbolized the ongoing reflection and reconciliation surrounding the June 12 elections, which remain a pivotal moment in the country’s political history.
