Former Nigerian military ruler, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has admitted that he regrets annulling the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was won by Moshood Abiola.
He acknowledged that the election was the fairest in Nigeria’s history and said he would have made a different decision if given another chance.
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Babangida made this statement in Abuja on Thursday during the launch of his autobiography, A Journey in Service.
Speaking after former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo reviewed the book, he accepted full responsibility for canceling the election, which saw Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) emerge victorious against Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC).
“I regret June 12. I accept full responsibility for the decisions taken, and June 12 happened under my watch. Mistakes and missteps occurred in quick succession,” Babangida said.
In previous interviews, Babangida had defended the annulment, saying that although the election was free and fair, his government believed Nigeria was not ready for democracy at the time.
“Abiola won fair and square, and Nigerians accepted the election as the best ever conducted in our history. But unfortunately, we annulled it. I use the word ‘unfortunately’ for the first time because, looking back, I see the consequences of that decision,” he admitte
Babangida further revealed that his government had planned to organize another election in November 1993 but faced strong opposition due to the backlash from the annulment. Instead, he set up an Interim National Government (ING), which was later overthrown by General Sani Abacha.
“Security concerns played a big role in our decision. We feared that if we handed over to a civilian government, there would be another coup within six months. But in hindsight, I see that the annulment created more problems than it solved,” Babangida confessed.
He concluded by saying that history has judged June 12 as a missed opportunity for Nigeria, and he deeply regrets not handling the situation differently.