NIGERIA: IBB Fortunate To Apologise For June 12 Annulment After 32 Years – Ex-Niger Governor

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has said that former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) is lucky to have had the opportunity to apologise for the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Aliyu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stated this while speaking on Arise News’ Prime Time programme on Thursday.

He emphasised that Babangida’s public admission of regret and his acknowledgment that Moshood Abiola (MKO) won the election was a significant moment in Nigerian history.

IBB’s remarks were captured in his newly launched autobiography, A Journey in Service, presented in Abuja.

In the 12th chapter, the former military leader expressed regret over the decision, calling the annulment an “accident of history”.

“Although I am on record to have stated after the election that Abiola may not have won, upon deeper reflection and closer examination of all the available facts, particularly the detailed election results… there was no doubt that MKO Abiola won the June 12 election,” Babangida admitted.

Aliyu commended IBB’s decision to apologise after 32 years, noting that not many leaders get such an opportunity.

“President IBB is lucky he got a chance to apologise after 32 years. He has been a great man, a leader from his youthful days as a prefect and head boy, to becoming Head of State.

His memoir’s unveiling is significant for Nigeria,” Aliyu said.

The June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, saw MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) emerge victorious.

However, Babangida’s military regime annulled the election, sparking a national crisis and leading to Abiola’s eventual arrest and death in detention in 1998.

IBB’s recent apology has reignited historical debates on the impact of the annulment and the subsequent struggles for democracy in Nigeria.

Many political observers believe his acknowledgment is a step toward healing but does not erase the consequences of his actions.