Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Natasha Invites Senate President To Commission Constituency Projects In Kogi
    • Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs, Urges Them To Deal With Security Threats
    • Lawyer, Four Others Sent To Prison For Defaming Bauchi Senator On TikTok
    • Coup Plot: Identities Of 16 Detained Military Officers Emerge
    • Senate Confirms Bernard Doro As Minister
    • Tinubu Approves 15% Import Duty On Petrol, Diesel
    • Alleged Impeachment Plot: Bayelsa Deputy Governor Sues State Assembly, IGP, Others
    • All Enugu House of Representatives Members Defect To APC
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    • HOME
    • NEWS

      Natasha Invites Senate President To Commission Constituency Projects In Kogi

      October 30, 2025

      Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs, Urges Them To Deal With Security Threats

      October 30, 2025

      Lawyer, Four Others Sent To Prison For Defaming Bauchi Senator On TikTok

      October 30, 2025

      Coup Plot: Identities Of 16 Detained Military Officers Emerge

      October 30, 2025

      Senate Confirms Bernard Doro As Minister

      October 30, 2025
    • COLUMN

      Dr Madu, The Shamaki Of Fika, Who Became A Doctor Through Providence – By Dr Hassan Gimba

      October 26, 2025

      Fashola’s Reality Check For APC Leadership – By Kazeem Akintunde

      October 26, 2025

      ‘Why Nigeria Needs More Universities, After All’ (2) – By Martins Oloja

      October 26, 2025

      Africa’s Power Addiction – By Jonathan Nda-Isaiah

      October 25, 2025

      Aparutu And His Life Coach – By Azu Ishiekwene

      October 24, 2025
    • EDUCATION

      FG Names Prof. Adamu Acting Vice-Chancellor To Steer UniAbuja For Three Months

      August 9, 2025

      13 Countries Offering Free Or Low-Cost PhD Programmes For Non-Citizens

      January 25, 2025

      NECO: Abia, Imo Top Performing States In Two Years, Katsina, Zamfara Come Last

      October 3, 2024

      NBTE Accredits 17 Programmes At Federal Polytechnic Kabo

      August 20, 2024

      15 Most Expensive Universities In Nigeria

      May 19, 2024
    • INTERNATIONAL

      Gaza’s Dr Hussam Abu Safia Still Held By Israel With No Sign Of Release

      October 30, 2025

      Over 100 Killed In Rio Police Crackdown On Powerful Narco Gang

      October 30, 2025

      Israel Kills 20 In Gaza attacks, Hamas Delays Handover Of Captive’s Remains

      October 29, 2025

      North Korea Test-Fires Cruise Missiles As Trump Visits South Korea

      October 29, 2025

      Despite Ceasefires, Israel Continues Attacks Around The Region

      October 28, 2025
    • JUDICIARY

      FULL LIST: Judicial Council Recommends Appointment Of 11 Supreme Court Justices

      December 6, 2023

      Supreme Court: Judicial Council Screens 22 Nominees, Candidates Face DSS, Others

      November 29, 2023

      FULL LIST: Judicial Commission Nominates 22 Justices For Elevation To Supreme Court

      November 16, 2023

      Seven Key Issues Resolved By Seven Supreme Court Judges

      October 26, 2023

      FULL LIST: CJN To Swear In Falana’s Wife, 57 Others As SANs November 27

      October 12, 2023
    • POLITICS

      What Peter Obi May Lose If He Joins Coalition As VP Candidate

      May 25, 2025

      Atiku Moves To Unseat Wike’s Damagum As PDP Chairman, Backs Suswam As Replacement

      April 15, 2024

      Edo’s Senator Matthew Uroghide, Others Defect To APC

      April 13, 2024

      Finally, Wike Opens Up On Rift With Peter Odili

      April 2, 2024

      El-Rufa’i’s Debt Burden: APC Suspends Women Leader For Criticising Kaduna Gov

      March 31, 2024
    • SPORTS

      Missing $1.2m FIFA Fund: Ex-NFF President, Pinnick Blames COVID, Says Project Fully Audited

      October 30, 2025

      Carabao Cup: Palace Stun Slot’s Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea Get To Quarter Finals

      October 30, 2025

      Reps Set To Probe Nigerian Football Federation Over FIFA Grants

      October 29, 2025

      Super Falcons Seal 2026 WAFCON Qualification With 3–1 Aggregate Win Over Benin

      October 29, 2025

      Peter Obi Slams NFF Over Abandoned FIFA-Funded Stadium As Fresh Allegations Of Misused Funds Surface

      October 28, 2025
    • MORE
      • AFRICA
      • ANALYSIS
      • BUSINESS
      • ENTERTAINMENT
      • FEATURED
      • LENS SPEAK
      • INFO – TECH
      • INTERVIEW
      • NIGERIA DECIDES
      • OPINION
      • Personality Profile
      • Picture of the month
      • Science
      • Special Project
      • Videos
      • Weekend Sports
    NEWS POINT NIGERIANEWS POINT NIGERIA
    UBA 720X90
    Home - June 12: Widespread Anger As Babangida Heaps Blame On Late Abacha

    June 12: Widespread Anger As Babangida Heaps Blame On Late Abacha

    By Sadiq MuhammadFebruary 23, 2025
    IBB And Abacha

    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.

    His Royal Highness

    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.

    UBA

    “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.

    Independence Day

    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.

    Happy Birthday

    “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.

    Nigerian TAX Reform - Federal Goverment

    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.

    National Orientation Agency Page UP
    National Orientation Agency - Down

    “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.

    Rano Capital

    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.”

    Abacha IBB June 12
    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn Telegram Email

    Related Posts

    Natasha Invites Senate President To Commission Constituency Projects In Kogi

    October 30, 2025

    Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs, Urges Them To Deal With Security Threats

    October 30, 2025

    Lawyer, Four Others Sent To Prison For Defaming Bauchi Senator On TikTok

    October 30, 2025

    Coup Plot: Identities Of 16 Detained Military Officers Emerge

    October 30, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Latest Posts

    Natasha Invites Senate President To Commission Constituency Projects In Kogi

    October 30, 2025

    Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs, Urges Them To Deal With Security Threats

    October 30, 2025

    Lawyer, Four Others Sent To Prison For Defaming Bauchi Senator On TikTok

    October 30, 2025

    Coup Plot: Identities Of 16 Detained Military Officers Emerge

    October 30, 2025

    Senate Confirms Bernard Doro As Minister

    October 30, 2025
    Advertisement
    WIDGET ADS
    News Point NG
    © 2025 NEWS POINT NIGERIA Developed by ENGRMKS & CO.
    • Home
    • About us
    • Disclaimer
    • Our Advert Rates
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Join Us On WhatsApp