Former military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, after 28 Years, on Friday, opened up on the real reasons he annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election,presumed to have been won by late business mogul-turned politician, MKO Abiola.
Recall that tongues had wagged over the annulment of the election, which result had been partially announced by the then chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, NEC, Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Recall also that Babangida had on June 24, 1993 annulled the poll results, a political gaffe that had set the country on fire, as the election was adjudged the freest, fairest and the best in the annals of national elections in Nigeria.
The aftermath of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election results led to the energence of pro-democracy groups, especially the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, championing the de-annulment of Abiola’s popular mandate.
Seventy-nine-year-oldBabangida, fondly called IBB and Maradona, for his political and military schemings and diabolical plots while in office, told Arise TV: “If it materialised (if the election had gone through), there would have been a coup d’etat, which could have been violent. That’s all I can confirm.
“It didn’t happen, thank God for the Maradonic way we handled you guys in the society.”
Abiola’s Victory was however confirmed in 2018, when the Muhammadu Buhari administration awarded him a posthumous Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, an honour reserved only for Heads of State and Presidents.
Asked why he took the decision to annul the election, Babangida responded, “Do you want me to be honest with you? The election could have given room for more instability in the country.”
He maintained that he was pressured by the military and the civil populace to annul the election, saying, “Both. The Military, they can do it, because they have the weapons to do it. The other is the social agitation.”
Also recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Abiola’s kinsman, recently described the annulment o the election by Babangida as ‘bad belle.’
Late Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, had defeated the National Republican Congress, NRC candidate, Bashir Tofa.
The ensuing political crisis had culminated in a coup by the late maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha, who sacked the then Interim National Government, ING, led by Chief Ernest Shonekan, installed by Babangida as he was forced to step aside.
