Almost 32 years after his annulment of the 12 June 1993, presidential election — regarded to be the freest and fairest poll in the country’s history — the then military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) has finally admitted that the philanthropist and candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola won the election.
The long-awaited admission is contained in Babangida’s 420-page memoir titled, A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida, which was launched in Abuja on Thursday with continental and national dignitaries in attendance.
The book reviewer, former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said the “evil genius” and “Maradona”, as Babangida was nicknamed, answered the question as to whether Abiola won the 12 June 1993 election or not in his book.
‘Although I am on record to have stated after the election that Abiola may not have won the election, upon further reflection, and a closer examination of all available facts, particularly the detailed election results which are published as an appendix to this book, there was no doubt that MKO Abiola won the 12 June elections’, Babangida admitted in his book.
He wrote further: ‘Upon closer examination of the original collated figure from the 110 polling booths nationwide, it was clear that he satisfied the two main requirements for winning the presidential election – mainly majority votes and geographical spread – having obtained 8,128,720 against Tofa’s 5,848,247 votes and securing the mandatory of one-third of the votes cast in 28 states of the Federation including Abuja’.
Babangida, who was 83 years old last birthday on 27 August 2024, expressed regret over the annulment of the popular election, describing the period as the most difficult period of his life.
He said at the book launch: ‘However, the tragic irony of history remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted those near-perfect elections could not complete the process.
‘That accident of history is most regrettable. The nation is entitled to expect my impression of regret.
‘As a leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all decisions taken under my watch’.
Nigeria and the rest of the world were waiting for Abiola to be declared the winner of the election, which was to mark the climax of a prolonged transition from military to civil rule, when the Babangida regime annulled the poll, citing alleged irregularities.
Even by the first batch of the results announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) by 14 June 1993, Abiola won 19 out of then 30 states, and the Federal Capital Territory. He won all the states of the Southwest; three of the seven states in the Southeast; five of the nine Northwest and Northeast states including Kano (home state of his opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa), and four out of the seven states in the North Central.
Of the 6.6 million votes that had been announced, Abiola had received 4.3 million and Tofa 2.3 million. If Abiola had been declared the winner, he would have been at that time the first southerner to be elected as President of Nigeria, breaking through ethno-religious divides having received support from all regions of the country.
Recalling Nigeria’s turbulent time 32 years after, Babangida further said: ‘And 12 June happened under my watch, mistakes, oversights and missteps happened in quick succession, but I say in my book, in all matters, we acted in the supreme national interest so that Nigeria could survive.
‘Our nation’s march to democracy was interrupted, a fact that I deeply regret. But Nigeria and democracy is still alive, a testament to commitment’.
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also rehashed Babangida’s words while reviewing the book.
’12 June election was the most challenging of my life. If have to do it all over again, I’ll do it differently’, Osinbajo said quoting a section from the book.
The book, which offers insights into key moments in the country’s history, also addresses other national controversies, including the 1976 coup attempt that led to the assassination of then-Head of State, Murtala Muhammed, and the 1986 letter bomb that killed investigative journalist, Dele Giwa.
Reflecting on his decision to annul the 12 June 1993 election, Babangida admitted that if given another chance, he would have handled the situation differently.
The annulment sparked widespread protests and political unrest nationwide at the time. It eventually led to Babangida’s resignation and a prolonged struggle for democracy in Nigeria, culminating in the return to civilian rule in 1999.
