Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has finally provided a detailed account of the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
Speaking at the launch of his autobiography, A Journey in Service, Babangida admitted that Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola won the election but justified the annulment as a necessary decision to prevent national disintegration and a possible civil war.
The book launch, held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, attracted Nigeria’s most influential political and business figures, including President Bola Tinubu, former heads of state Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as ex-presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo.
Babangida’s revelations sparked fresh debate on an issue that has defined Nigeria’s democratic struggle, with political analysts, historians, and stakeholders dissecting his account of the events leading to and following the annulment.
In his autobiography, Babangida acknowledged that MKO Abiola, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), decisively defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), securing 8,128,720 votes to Tofa’s 5,848,247.
He met the constitutional requirement of winning at least one-third of the votes in 28 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“Upon deeper reflection and a closer examination of all the available facts, particularly the detailed election results published as an appendix to this volume, there was no doubt that MKO Abiola won the June 12 elections,” Babangida wrote.
However, he explained that powerful forces within the military, led by General Sani Abacha, were determined to prevent Abiola from assuming office. Babangida feared that if Abiola became president, he would be assassinated, which could plunge Nigeria into another civil war.
“Having participated in one civil war, with all its horrors, pains, and devastation, I wasn’t prepared to see another,” Babangida stated, referring to Nigeria’s 1967–1970 Biafra conflict.
Babangida admitted that his administration underestimated the level of opposition to civilian governance within the military.
“We completely underestimated the deep opposition to civil rule within the military top 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 that would accompany an eventual withdrawal from much temptingly appealing political positions,” he wrote.
The annulment, he said, was not initially his intention. According to him, he had considered alternative resolutions, including fresh elections or negotiations with Abiola. However, powerful figures within his administration, led by Abacha, outmaneuvered him and forced the annulment.
“There and then, I knew I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea,” he said, reflecting on the internal power struggle.
The former military leader revealed that the crisis surrounding June 12 nearly cost him his life.
On June 23, 1993, while in Katsina condoling the Yar’Adua family over the death of their patriarch, Musa Yar’Adua, Babangida was blindsided by the abrupt announcement of the election annulment.
“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),” Babangida recalled.
The decision, he claimed, was orchestrated without his consent.
“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 wrote.
He later realized that Abacha and a faction of senior officers had launched a systematic campaign to portray him as the problem, building momentum for a violent coup that could have seen him eliminated.
The annulment of the June 12 election plunged Nigeria into prolonged political turmoil. Protests erupted nationwide, democracy activists mobilized, and international pressure mounted. The crisis culminated in Babangida’s forced resignation in August 1993, paving the way for an interim government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan.
However, Shonekan’s tenure was short-lived. By November 1993, Abacha seized power in a palace coup, ending Nigeria’s transition to democracy and ushering in a brutal military dictatorship that lasted until his sudden death in 1998.
Babangida dismissed conspiracy theories that his administration orchestrated the election annulment to retain military power, insisting that he tried to negotiate a compromise with Abiola.
“At one of my several meetings with Abiola, arranged by traditional leaders, I offered him an interim position pending when we could resolve the situation,” Babangida said. “Not surprisingly, Abiola turned down my offer. How could anyone blame him?”
Despite his efforts to negotiate, Abiola rejected any settlement short of full recognition as president. He was later arrested in 1994 after declaring himself president, and he died in detention in 1998.
The launch of Babangida’s presidential library was a historic moment, attracting significant financial support from Nigeria’s business elite. Aliko Dangote donated ₦8 billion, Theophilus Danjuma gave ₦3 billion, and Abdulsamad Rabiu of BUA Group contributed ₦5 billion.
President Bola Tinubu acknowledged Babangida’s influence on his political journey, stating that without Babangida’s reforms, he and many other politicians might not have entered the political arena.
“Your progressive revolution encouraged young, brilliant people to participate in politics. We were with you in Dodan Barracks, and you inspired some of us,” Tinubu said.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan described Babangida as a “charismatic leader” who contributed to Nigeria’s infrastructural development, while Dangote credited him with making the private sector relevant.
Babangida’s revelations have reignited discussions on one of Nigeria’s most pivotal political crises.
Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and member of the pro-democracy group NADECO, dismissed Babangida’s account as nothing new.
“We formed NADECO to fight for the fact that Abiola won the elections. We gave the military an ultimatum to give the mandate to Abiola, but they started arresting us. They kept me in detention for two years,” Falae said.
For many Nigerians, the June 12 annulment remains an enduring symbol of military subversion of democracy. While Babangida’s justification may offer insight into the complexities of that period, critics argue that his administration’s failure to secure democratic transition cost Nigeria dearly.
