Abuja Network News | February 20, 2025 | 10:30 AM
Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has admitted that annulling the June 12, 1993, presidential election remains the most regrettable decision of his career.
In his newly released autobiography, "A Journey in Service", launched in Abuja on Thursday, Babangida conceded that the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola had won the election convincingly. The book reviewer, former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, quoted Babangida as saying that Abiola, who ran under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), secured the required majority votes and nationwide spread necessary to be declared president.
“There was no doubt in my mind; MKO Abiola won the election. He satisfied all the requirements,” Babangida stated in the book. He described the annulment as the most difficult and painful moment of his administration, hinting that political and security pressures led to his controversial decision.
The former military leader expressed relief that President Muhammadu Buhari later recognized Abiola’s mandate by posthumously awarding him the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), a title exclusively reserved for Nigerian presidents.
June 12 remains a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic history, symbolizing the struggle for free and fair elections. Babangida’s admission is expected to reignite discussions about Nigeria’s political past and the consequences of that historic annulment.