Thirty-two years after plunging Nigeria into political turmoil and moral darkness, former military president General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) has finally conceded the undeniable truth: Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election—the freest, fairest, and most unifying election in Nigeria’s history. Yet, in a stunning display of arrogance and moral blindness; in a brazen act of contempt for the people’s will, IBB has failed to offer even a shred of genuine remorse, or apologize for annulling the will of the people; instead cloaking his betrayal in the hollow excuse of acting in the “national interest.” His puerile justifications are a slap in the face of a nation whose democratic hopes were crushed beneath the boot of military despotism, in a streak of authoritarian madness. The annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was the most wicked act to have ever been perpetrated against Nigeria by a single individual. Babangida’s legacy will forever be stained by this unforgivable act of treachery, and no amount of revisionism will cleanse his name from the annals of infamy.
This admission, delivered without humility at the launch of his autobiography, “A Journey In Service” at the IBB Presidential Library Foundation Abuja, comes not as an act of courage but as a cynical bid to rewrite history. “As the leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all my decisions. And June 12 happened under my watch,” IBB said, adding: “Mistakes, oversights, and missteps happen in quick succession but I say in my book, in all occasions, we acted in extreme national interest.” IBB said he regrets the annulment of the election and admitted that MKO Abiola indeed won the 1993 presidential election and should have been declared winner. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Party (NRC) contested the annulled election.
Babangida’s claim that he annulled June 12 to serve the nation’s interest is a grotesque distortion of reality. What “national interest” is served by betraying democracy, plunging the country into chaos, and setting the clock of progress back by decades? What benefit did Nigeria gain from the chaos, bloodshed, and prolonged dictatorship by Sani Abacha that followed? June 12 was Nigeria’s golden opportunity to cement unity, stability, and international respect. Instead, Babangida’s regime snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, condemning the nation to years of political unrest, economic collapse, and human rights abuses. History’s verdict is clear: the annulment of June 12 was not an act of patriotism but a cynical power grab that plunged the nation into years of strife and set back its democratic progress by decades.
To now dismiss that betrayal as a mere “mistake” or “oversight” insults the memory of Abiola – who died fighting for his stolen mandate, and mocks the countless pro-democracy activists who suffered and paid the ultimate price in the aftermath of that fateful decision. Babangida’s admission, devoid of repentance reeks of calculated arrogance – a feeble attempt to whitewash one of the darkest and most disgraceful chapters in Nigeria’s history. His refusal to apologize speaks volumes: this is not a man burdened by guilt, but one still clinging to the delusion that his actions were justified.
But history will not absolve IBB. The annulment of June 12 was not a patriotic sacrifice—it was a betrayal of democracy, a theft of the people’s voice, and a crime against the very soul of the nation. Babangida’s legacy will forever be stained by this unforgivable act of treachery, and no amount of revisionism will cleanse his name from the annals of infamy. To write a book and profit financially from the blood money is the nadir of gracelessness. The impropriety is simply mind-boggling and inexcusable.
True leadership demands humility, accountability, and the courage to make amends. If Babangida truly seeks redemption, let him offer a full and unconditional apology to the Nigerian people and the Abiola family. Anything less is a mockery of the principles of justice, democracy, and the collective memory of those who fought – and died – for Nigerian democracy. Until then, his words remain the hollow echoes of a man condemned by history; a symbol of what happens when ambition, arrogance, and the lust for power drown out the voice of a nation yearning for freedom and justice. IBB needs to be told in whatever language he understands that Nigerians were mightily insulted by his hackneyed comments about June 12.
The publication of IBB’s autobiography presents an opportunity for him to make amends for the profound harm inflicted on Nigeria’s democracy. If IBB genuinely regrets the annulment of June 12, let him donate the proceeds from the sale of his book to pro-democracy charities and Nigerian civil society groups dedicated to promoting justice, human rights, and good governance. This gesture would symbolize a step toward atonement for the annulment of the June 12, which robbed the nation of its democratic breakthrough. Supporting organizations that advocate for electoral integrity, civic education, and political accountability would help nurture a future where no leader can subvert the will of the people. Such a donation would not erase Babangida’s legacy of betrayal, but it could contribute to strengthening the democratic institutions that his actions undermined, fostering a Nigeria where the people’s voice is respected and protected. Until that happens, Babangida’s rantings and pontifications would remain an empty echo of a conscience still shackled by the weight of an unforgivable betrayal.
