By Vincent Egunyanga, Cross Udo, and Ben Adoga, with agency report
Former military president, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, has said Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Babangida also disclosed that the annulment of the election was orchestrated by forces within his administration, led by Gen Sani Abacha, his Chief of Army Staff and later Minister of Defence.
He also said that he had taken full responsibility for what happened because he was the Head of State and Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, adding that the military underestimated the consequences of the action.
In his autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service’, which was unveiled in Abuja, Babangida, who admitted that Chief Abiola won the election, recounted how he was blindsided by the announcement that nullified it.
He wrote in the book, “Although I am on record to have stated after the elections that Abiola may not have won the elections, upon deeper reflection and a closer examination of all the available facts, particularly the detailed election results, which are published as an appendix to this volume, there was no doubt that MKO Abiola won the June 12 elections.
“Upon closer examination of the original collated figures from the 110,000 polling booths nationwide, it was clear that he satisfied the two main constitutional requirements for winning the Presidential elections, mainly majority votes and geographical spread, having obtained 8,128,720 votes against Tofa’s 5,848,247 votes and securing the mandatory one-third of the votes cast in 28 states of the federation, including Abuja.
“Unfortunately, the forces gathered against him after the June 12 elections were so formidable that I was convinced that if he became President, he would be quickly eliminated by the same forces who pretended to be his friends.
“While I accept that the unfortunate denial of his mandate amounted to a subversion of the will of the Nigerian people, I was petrified that if Abiola got killed, it could lead to a civil war. Having participated in one civil war, with all its horrors, pains, and devastation, I wasn’t prepared to see another.
“I am gratified that the Buhari administration finally recognised MKO Abiola as a ‘former head of state.”
He described the annulment as a shocking and regrettable in Nigeria’s history.”
He further said, “There were no questions that mistakes were made in handling the June 12 elections and their aftermath, for which I take full responsibility as President and Commander-in-Chief. One of my biggest mistakes was failing to firmly secure the support and firm commitment of my military colleagues to the Transition programme from the beginning.
“We completely underestimated the deep opposition to civil rule within the top military hierarchy. We underestimated the damage that the extended stay in the political arena, with all its perks, had done to the military psyche and the psychological shock accompanying an eventual withdrawal from much temptingly appealing political positions.
“We further underestimated what it would take to return the military to the barracks and its non-political and non-partisan role.
“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. I don’t remember who first said that ‘sometimes, life can only be understood backward.
“However, faced with the circumstances of those moments as President and Commander-in-Chief, painful as it seemed, I did what was in the country’s best interest, for which I take full responsibility.”
He revealed that the annulment of the election also nearly cost him his life.
According to Babangida, on the morning of June 23, 1993, he had travelled from Abuja to Katsina to condole with the Yar’Adua family following the death of their patriarch, Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua. While there, he received an alarming report that the June 12 election had been annulled.
“Even more bizarre was the extent of the annulment because it terminated all court proceedings regarding the June 12 elections, repealed all the decrees governing the transition, and even suspended NEC (National Electoral Commission),” he wrote.
Babangida said he was particularly disturbed by the unceremonious manner in which the announcement was made.
“Admiral Aikhomu’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, had read out a terse, poorly worded statement from a scrap of paper, which bore neither the presidential seal nor the official letterhead of the government, annulling the June 12 presidential elections.
“I was alarmed and horrified,” he stated.
Prior to the announcement, Babangida admitted that various options, including the possibility of fresh elections, were being considered following the deadlock in announcing the election results.
However, he insisted that outright annulment was only one of several possibilities.
“But to suddenly have an announcement made without my authority was, to put it mildly, alarming. I remember saying, ‘These nefarious inside forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me!'”
He disclosed that it was only later that he realized the annulment was carried out by powerful elements within his administration, led by Abacha, who was his minister of defence.
“There and then, I knew I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea!” he wrote.
Babangida acknowledged that the election, which was widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, took a “painful twist” from that moment, and he ultimately bore the responsibility for what transpired.
“As I will show later, I regrettably take responsibility,” he added.
The annulment of the June 12 election set off a political crisis that plunged Nigeria into years of instability.
The fallout led to protests, international condemnation, and Abacha’s eventual seizure of power in a palace coup in 1993 after Babangida was forced to step aside.
Despite his admission of being ‘outflanked,’ Babangida reiterated that he accepted responsibility as the head of the administration, calling it one of the most regrettable moments in Nigeria’s history.
Narrating the theories that emerged over the annulment, Babangida wrote, “Tensions in the country were compounded by baseless conspiracy theories meant to justify the annulment. One such theory was that Abiola had pencilled down a list of top military officers to be dismissed upon assuming office as president.
“Another conspiracy theory was that the government had let the June 12 elections go ahead in the knowledge, based on security reports, that Tofa would win. However, once Abiola won, the government sought a way to frustrate his mandate.
“These were spurious theories circulated by those opposed to an Abiola presidency. Some persons indeed expressed their reservations about an Abiola presidency before the elections.
“There were times when, deep down inside me, even I feared that Abiola might not be an effective president. However, having allowed the process to go ahead in which Abiola appeared to have emerged victorious in an election deemed the freest and fairest in our country’s history, I was committed to ensuring that the results should stand.
To do otherwise would amount to a subversion of the will of the Nigerian people.
“But I also knew we were dealing with a delicate situation that could lead to national disintegration. The military was factionalised into rival groups between those opposed to the transition to civil rule, particularly an Abiola presidency, and those who thought the military should keep its word and hand over to a democratically elected government.
“The military was awash with rumours of plots by those who wanted to depose me to have Abiola installed and those who wanted to take me out violently to ensure that the annulment stayed.
“There were rumours of a third group, made up of sworn and implacable enemies of Abiola, a hard-line faction, who threatened that Abiola could only be President over their dead bodies! And if it meant taking me out violently to effect their threat, they were willing to do so.
“It was painful for me to discover later that apart from Abacha, some of my closest colleagues, particularly a Lt-General, were knee-deep in the plot to eliminate me.
“The only reason those disparate forces did not strike against me was that it was feared, and rightly so, that since I still enjoyed the support of a sizable proportion of the armed forces, any attack on the government or my person would lead to a bloodbath.
“The polarisation within the military was so fraught with danger that the best I could do in the circumstance was to project a united front as government in the face of the stiff opposition I faced as President.
“Although the annulment took all by surprise, as Commander-in-Chief, I took responsibility for it. In my speech on June 26, tepid and disingenuous as it may seem, I attempted to justify the annulment in the face of supposed nationwide widespread electoral malpractices’ during the elections! What mattered at the time to me as President and Commander-in-Chief was the unity of the army and my conviction that if the army was united, it could safeguard the country from disintegration.
“After several brainstorming sessions with various groups, I contacted MKO Abiola to find a way forward. At one of my several meetings with Abiola, arranged this time by some traditional leaders, I offered Abiola an interim position pending when we could resolve the situation.
“Not surprisingly, Abiola turned down my offer. How could anyone blame him? Since he was convinced that he had won the elections that the annulment had denied him, it seemed overtly inappropriate to accept an interim arrangement.
“For him, it was a matter of once bitten, twice shy! At another meeting, this time a more private meeting of both families, I articulated that our lives were in danger of being snuffed out by lurking forces that wished both of us ill.
“Unfortunately, Abiola turned his back on rapprochement with me and embraced the gimmicks of deceitful ‘friends’ who hid their real intentions from him.
“I read somewhere, I believe, in one of Abiolas newspapers that Abiola thought that the moment these ‘friends’ overthrew me, the elections would be de-annulled and that he would be installed as President by his coup-plotting friends.
“As it turned out, Abiola was advised by these same ‘friends’ to leave the country to avoid death threats from fictitious military elements. Abiola’s departure paved the way for his ‘friends’ to consolidate their conspiratorial positions, eventually leading to another military takeover.
“Without question, one of my biggest headaches at this time was Sani Abacha. I knew that Abacha was ambivalent about a return to civil rule. But I thought, in retrospect now, naively, that he would support our transition to a civil rule programme.
“As I said earlier, Abacha and I had come a long way. We were good friends, and he had indeed been nice to me. As I have said elsewhere, he saved my life once and also risked his life to ensure that I took over in 1985. I could never forget those details.
“But it’s also correct that he was a complex character. He was capable of bottling up a lot inside without giving a hint of where he was. And then, suddenly, the bottle bursts, and we begin to see a different person. I didn’t know everything about him!
“For instance, I was alarmed to discover that he and a handful of others mobilised negative opinions against me within the military, portraying me as the problem. That campaign was geared towards a violent military coup to remove me as President forcefully.”
Babangida also reflected on his tenure, acknowledging the controversies surrounding his administration’s decisions.
“I have always had to contend with this question – when will you tell your side of the story? Understandably, our service period has evoked many questions and stories among the public. This book, which chronicles my experiences, decisions, and challenges, tries to answer some of these questions from my modest perspective,” he said.
He highlighted the significant reforms and challenges his government faced, particularly in economic management, foreign policy, defence, and national security. He noted that while Nigerians endured sacrifices under his leadership, his administration was driven by a commitment to leaving the country in a better state.
Acknowledging the historical weight of the June 12 election – widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest at the time – Babangida expressed deep regret that his government ultimately failed to see it through despite designing an electoral system that ensured a credible process.
“Undoubtedly, credible, free, and fair elections were held on June 12, 1993. However, the tragic irony remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted those elections could not complete the process. That accident of history is most regrettable. The nation is entitled to expect my regret,” he stated.
Babangida did not relinquish accountability, taking full ownership of the decision to annul the election.
“As the leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all decisions taken under my watch, and June 12 happened under my watch. Mistakes, oversight, and missteps happened quickly, but as I state in my book, in all matters, we acted in the supreme national interest so that Nigeria could survive,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey, Babangida admitted that his administration disrupted the transition to civilian rule but emphasised that the country ultimately overcame the setback.
“Our nation’s march to democracy was interrupted, a fact I deeply regret. But Nigeria survived, and democracy is still alive – a testament to our resilience and commitment to progress,” he said.
*Dele Giwa: It is foolish, cheap to say I killed him
On Dele Giwa’s death, he denied any government involvement, saying that he expected the truth to be uncovered one day.
He said, “The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder. As is typical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards government, which had remained the hallmark of Nigerian media since its colonial heydays.
“It was an attitude of ‘we versus the government’ that has remained today. It is a situation in which the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced.
“When the Obasanjo civilian administration reopened the Giwa case at the Oputa Panel on Human and Civil Rights, I expected that the police and lawyers would come forward with new evidence as to their findings on the Giwa murder over the years.
“Nothing of such happened. The Giwa, like all mysterious murders, has remained unsolved after so many years. I keep hoping it will be uncovered in our lifetime or after us. More often than not, mysterious crimes are solved long after their commission.”
*Tinubu, Gowon, Obasanjo, Buhari, Jonathan others grace epoch event
The event was graced by President Bola Tinubu, ex-presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Goodluck Jonathan, former head of state, Gen Yakubu Gowon, and other top political and military leaders.
InIn his remarks, Tinubu, Tinubu said Babangida contributed to his political journey, stating that without Babangida’s leadership and reforms, people like him would not have ventured into politics.
Tinubu described the former leader as a visionary who championed the inclusion of young, brilliant minds in governance.
He said, “Whatever might have happened, the hallmark of the truth from our dear leader, father, uncle, General Ibrahim Babangida. Without you, people like me wouldn’t be in politics.
“Your progressive revolution encouraged young, brilliant people to participate in politics. We were with you in Dodan Barracks, and you inspired some of us.”
The president reminisced about Babangida’s leadership and the impact of his policies, particularly in economic and political development. He praised Babangida’s role in fostering a new generation of bankers and politicians, noting that the launch of his presidential library was a testament to his legacy.
“When you look at the programme, some of the bankers and many of us here today saw the happiness of a missionary in Babangida. Thank you for what you are,” Tinubu said.
Reflecting on his early political career, Tinubu recounted a tense encounter with Babangida over the delayed inauguration of elected officials.
Despite widespread anticipation, he recalled how he challenged the former military ruler on the repeated postponement of their swearing-in.
“One thing I cannot forget: You were in office, and you’ll recall we were elected. You kept on postponing the inauguration. You summoned us to Abuja, and when we became rancorous, you moved us to the International Conference Centre.
“I was not expecting to make any comment; I was just listening in my radical manner, thinking, ‘This man will not inaugurate us again.’ But before we returned to the hotel, the hotel was locked—no key,” Tinubu recounted.
Despite fears that his bold confrontation would land him in jail, he recalled that Babangida displayed statesmanship by shaking his hand afterward.
“I confronted you, telling you you had an opportunity to make history that day. Why not inaugurate us? Why were you calling us back and postponing the inauguration? They thought I would end up in jail. But you came out at the end, shook my hand, and I can never forget that moment. You are courageous,” Tinubu said.
The president concluded by reaffirming Babangida’s impact on his personal and political life, calling him a leader deserving of recognition.
“That inspiration has been so impactful in my life. You deserve this day, and we celebrate you for what you are and what you have contributed to the history of this great country,” Tinubu said.
Also, former President Goodluck Jonathan has described Babangida as one of the most charismatic leaders whose administration brought about an infrastructural revolution, while President of Dangote Group Aliko Dangote said it was General Babangida who made the private sector relevant in the country.
Jonathan said Babangida, popularly called IBB, was one of the most charismatic leaders in the country.
He advised President Tinubu to set up a department in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for the presidential library, as is done in the United States.
He said that the American government helps in the presidential library.
While Alhaji Aliko Dangote commended General Babangida for making the private sector relevant in the country, Chief Arthur Eze remarked that the former military head of state made him and many other people at the event what they are today.
*Billions of naira raised for proposed IBB presidential library
The book reviewer and former vice president, Prof Yomi Osinbajo, recommended the book for all Nigerians to read.
He said Babangida remained popularly known as the ‘Maradona’ and ‘Evil Genius.’
The presidential Library launch was graced by friends of the former military president, including Abdulsamad Rabiu, Managing Director of BOA Group, who donated N5bn, while Gen TY Danjuma, represented by Gen Martin Agwai, donated N3bn.
Aliko Dangote of Dangote Group donated N8bn to be released N2bn yearly in four years. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, donated N59m, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, donated N20m, and Hon. Aliyu Wadada, who represented the leadership of the National Assembly, donated N3 m. Chief Arthur Eze donated N500m.
