For the first time, Nigeria’s former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, has publicly expressed regret over the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, an action that plunged the country into political turmoil. The election, held on June 12, was poised to end decades of military rule, with Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola widely believed to have won. However, as results were being finalized, Babangida’s regime abruptly halted the process, sparking mass protests and a national crisis.
At the launch of his autobiography A Journey in Service in Abuja on Thursday, the 83-year-old Babangida admitted that the election had been “credible, free, and fair.” He acknowledged that Chief MKO Abiola, who died in 1998, had won the election, but his subsequent imprisonment and the assassination of his wife added to the tragic aftermath of the annulment.
June 12 is now celebrated annually in Nigeria as Democracy Day, a reminder of the struggle for democratic governance that followed the cancellation. Babangida’s statement marks a significant moment in Nigeria’s political history, acknowledging a decision that remains a source of national pain and division.
| Chief MKO Abiola Statute Picture by Akidek on Wikimedia CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
