IBRAHIM Badamasi Babangida (IBB), former Nigerian military president, has come under intense criticism following his recent account of the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. Nigerians, from those who lived through his regime to younger generations who learned about it from history, have dismissed his explanations as an attempt to rewrite history and evade accountability.
In his newly launched autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service’, Babangida finally admitted that Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won what was widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
“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,” he wrote.
“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, Babangida blamed forces led by the late General Sani Abacha, his chief of defence, for the annulment, which triggered nationwide protests, riots, and a prolonged struggle for democracy that culminated in the return to civilian rule in 1999.
In his memoir, Babangida claimed he was unaware of the annulment when it was first announced. He stated that on June 23, 1993, he had travelled to Katsina to condole with the Yar’Adua family over the death of Musa Yar’Adua, father of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, when he received news that the election had been annulled.
“Admiral (Augustus) Aikhomu’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, had read out a terse, poorly worded statement from a scrap of paper, which bore neither the presidential seal nor the official letterhead of the government, annulling the June 12 presidential elections. I was alarmed and horrified,” Babangida recounted.
“I would later find out that the ‘forces’ led by General Sani Abacha annulled the elections. There and then, I knew I was caught between ‘a devil and the deep blue sea’!! From then on, the June 12 elections took on a painful twist for which, as I will show later, I regrettably take responsibility.”
Despite this claim, historical records show that Babangida himself appeared on national television to officially announce the annulment. He later resigned in August 1993 amid mounting pressure and installed an interim national government led by Ernest Shonekan. Abacha subsequently seized power from Shonekan on November 17, 1993.
Babangida argued that Abiola’s presidency at the time would have led to his assassination, sparking another civil war in Nigeria.
“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 very forces who pretended to be his friends,” he wrote.
While acknowledging that the annulment amounted to subverting the will of Nigerians, he maintained that his actions prevented greater chaos.
“Having participated in one civil war, with all its horrors, pains and devastation, I wasn’t prepared to see another,” he stated.
He also commended the Buhari administration for posthumously recognising Abiola as a “former head of state.”
Chidi Odinkalu, a lawyer and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, criticised Babangida for making claims against individuals who can no longer defend themselves.
Reacting to the autobiography on X, Odinkalu said: “Ibrahim Babangida’s book is filled with allegations against dead men & women. He waited until they were all dead & none of them cld controvert him & he portrays himself as a victim of all these dead men & women. This damns him even more than he already was as lacking in character.”
He questioned how someone “so devoid of character & values” was able to rise through the military ranks and wield such influence over Nigeria’s governance.
“Conveniently, Babangida, a committed record-keeper, cld not produce any contemporaneous records, minutes, notes or other evidence to corroborate any of the serious claims & allegations he makes about these dead men & women. All hail the Grand Commander of the Order of Cowardice!” he added.
Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC and president of Anap Foundation, dismissed Babangida’s admission as insignificant.
“IBB admitting, in 2025, that MKO Abiola won the June 12 Presidential elections in 1993, is as significant as him admitting that night follows the day. Are we supposed to clap because he told the truth after 3 decades? Am I missing something?” he posted on X.
At the book launch, attended by prominent figures from Nigeria and beyond, Babangida received praise for finally acknowledging his role in the annulment. Over N17 billion was reportedly raised, with contributions from wealthy Nigerians, including Aliko Dangote, to fund the autobiography and the IBB Presidential Library.
However, Remi Adekoya, a politics lecturer at the University of York, criticised the elite for applauding Babangida.
Reacting on X, Adekoya said, “A man announces he annulled a valid election, triggered a national crisis in which countless died and paved the way for Abacha to torture Nigerians for 5 years. And people are clapping for him, like ‘Thank you Sir.’”
He went further to highlight what he termed the underlying ideology of Nigeria’s elite class.
“There’s a deeper lesson on display at this gathering- that of what exactly constitutes ‘elite ideology’ in Nigeria… It is elitism as an ideology in itself.”
According to him, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or background, the Nigerian elite prioritise maintaining their status above all else.
Gumsu Sani Abacha, daughter of the late General Sani Abacha, responded cryptically to Babangida’s claims about her father’s role in the annulment.
Reacting on X, she posted in Hausa: “Allah baya bacci fa!! Muyi hattara da duniya wallahi” (God does not sleep. We should be careful with this world, I swear).
In another post, she simply wrote “Weakling,” followed by another where she posted her father’s name, “ABACHA.”