Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), finally opened up on the circumstances surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, revealing that his primary concern was the potential assassination of Chief MKO Abiola and the possibility of another civil war.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Naija News reports that the disclosure came at the launch of his autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service’, held at Transcorp Hotel, Abuja on Thursday.
The event, which also marked the unveiling of the fundraising for his presidential library, saw President Bola Tinubu leading former presidents, military leaders, and captains of industry, including Aliko Dangote, in eulogising the former military president.
Dignitaries in attendance included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the occasion, as well as Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Also present were former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Yemi Osinbajo, as well as 2023 presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The keynote address was delivered by former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, with former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma also in attendance.
Why I Annulled June 12 Presidential Election – Babangida
For the first time, Babangida provided a detailed account of why he nullified what is widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest presidential election.
He admitted that Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had convincingly defeated Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
However, he claimed that he feared for Abiola’s safety, believing that powerful elements within the military were determined to assassinate him, an event that could have plunged Nigeria into a catastrophic civil war.
Reflecting on the annulment, Babangida acknowledged that it was a painful and regrettable moment in Nigeria’s history.
In A Journey in Service, he wrote: “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.”
However, he claimed that powerful forces, particularly within his administration, led by then Minister of Defence, General Sani Abacha, opposed Abiola’s presidency.
“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,” he admitted.
Babangida described the annulment as a tragic moment in Nigeria’s history and acknowledged the failure of the military to fully commit to transitioning to civilian rule.
Underestimating Military Resistance to Civilian Rule
Reflecting on the military’s opposition to democracy, Babangida admitted that he and his team misjudged the level of resistance within the armed forces.
“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.
“We further underestimated what it would take to return the military to the barracks and its non-political and non-partisan role.”
Babangida revealed that the annulment nearly cost him his own life. He recalled how, while in Katsina to condole with the Yar’Adua family following the death of Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua, he received a report that the election had been annulled without his direct approval.
“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 recounted.
Inside Forces and Abacha’s Role in the Annulment
Babangida disclosed that while various options were being considered due to the political deadlock over the election, outright annulment had not been his primary plan.
However, powerful figures within his administration took matters into their own hands.
“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.’
“There and then, I knew I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea!”
He later discovered that Abacha had been at the forefront of mobilising opposition against him, using the annulment to strengthen his own position within the military.
Spiral Crisis and the Road to Military Rule
The annulment of the election plunged Nigeria into political turmoil, triggering protests, international condemnation, and ultimately, a coup that saw Abacha seize power after Babangida was forced to step aside.
“Tensions in the country were compounded by baseless conspiracy theories meant to justify the annulment. One such theory was that Abiola had penciled down a list of top military officers to be dismissed upon assuming office as president,” Babangida wrote.
He revealed that the military was deeply divided into factions—some in support of handing over to Abiola, others determined to keep the military in power. Some hardliners even vowed that Abiola would “only be President over their dead bodies.”
Failed Negotiations with Abiola
Babangida said he made multiple attempts to negotiate a resolution with Abiola, including offering him an interim position, but Abiola refused.
“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.”
He lamented that Abiola placed too much trust in those who claimed to support him.
“Unfortunately, Abiola turned his back on any form of rapprochement with me and embraced the gimmicks of deceitful ‘friends’ who hid their real intentions from him.
“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.”
My Debt to Abacha and the Consequences
Babangida acknowledged his complex relationship with Abacha, whom he credited with saving his life in the past but later realised had orchestrated much of the opposition against him.
“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.”
Looking Back: Regrets and Reflections
Babangida described the annulment as the most difficult decision of his life, one that he regretted but saw as necessary at the time to prevent Nigeria from descending into war.
“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. 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.”
Babangida expressed his relief that Abiola was eventually recognized posthumously as a former head of state by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.