FELIX NWANERI writes on General Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, which has rekindled debate on the June 12,1993 presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola but was annulled by the then military junta
Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, needs little or no introduction. Undeniably, his name rings a deafening bell across Nigeria. Popularly known as IBB, the Minna, Niger State born general, was Nigeria’s military ruler between August 27, 1985 and August 27, 1993, and his regime annulled the presidential election held on June 12 of that year.
The election, which till date, stands as a watershed in Nigeria’s electoral process as well as reshaped the country’s political history, was after a transition programme to return Nigeria to democratic rule, which spanned eight years. Its results were declared inconclusive before it was annulled on June 23, 1993, in a most bizarre manner.
Initial figures released by the then National Electoral Commission (NEC), showed that business mogul, Chief Moshood Abiola, was coasting to victory before the military junta directed the electoral body to stop further announcement of results from the remaining few states. What ensued later was widespread protests that forced Babangida to resign on August 26, 1993.
He, however, signed a decree that established an Interim National Government (ING) headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan. The ING was ousted three months later (November 1993) by the then Minister of Defence, General Sani Abacha. The coming of Abacha did not deter MKO (as Abiola was popularly known) from insisting on his mandate.
In 1994, he declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria in Epetedo area of Lagos Island. He had then returned from a trip to win the support of the international community for his mandate. Abiola was consequently accused of treason and arrested on the orders of Abacha.
The Ogun State born businessman turned politician was detained for four years, largely in solitary confinement. While some notable political and religious leaders across the globe lobbied for Abiola’s release, the Abachaled junta insisted that he renounce his mandate, a condition he rebuffed.
Nwosu puts record straight
Abiola insisted that he won the election although the claim was a subject of debate for years until Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, then chairman of NEC, set the record straight 15 years later (June 12, 2008). Nwosu affirmed that the Abiola won the election in his book titled: “Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and its Annulment.”
Nwosu (now late) stated that out of the 14,396,917 votes cast in that election, Abiola, who was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), polled 8,323,305 votes, while his opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa of National Republican Convention (NRC) had 6,073,612 votes.
The professor of Political Science further wrote that Tofa had one-third of votes in 23 states out of the then 30 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, while Abiola had one-third of votes in 28 states, thereby satisfying the constitutional requirement to be declared winner.
June 12 happened under my watch, mistakes, oversights and missteps happened in quick succession, but in all matters, we acted in the supreme national interest, so that Nigeria could survive
According to results of the election published on pages 296 to 298 of the 392- page book, the states which Abiola won were Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory.
Tofa, on his part, won Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Rivers and Sokoto states. Nwosu thereby declared: “With these results from the states, Abiola won the election.”
He, however, blamed an order by the Abuja High Court, served on the commission on June 15, 1993, for the inability of the electoral umpire to release a conclusive result of the election.
Babangida’s initial position
Babangida, on his part, explained some years back that he was compelled to annul the election because of security threats to the enthronement of a democratic government at the time. He pointed out that the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), which he headed then knew that Abiola, if inaugurated as president, would be toppled through a military coup, a situation he said his government did not want.
According to Babangida, his regime decided that theirs’ would be the last that will ascend the seat of power through a coup, and that it made no sense to install a democratic government that would be truncated within another six months.
However, he admitted that the June 12, 1993 presidential election was the best ever conducted in Nigeria’s history. His words: “June 12 was accepted by Nigerians as the best of elections in Nigeria. It was free and fair. But unfortunately, we cancelled that election.
I used the word unfortunately, for the first time. We were in government at the time and we knew the possible consequences of handing over to a democratic government. We did well that we wanted ours to be the last military coup deta’t.
To be honest, the situation was not ripe to hand over at the time. “The issue of security of the nation was a threat and we would have considered ourselves to have failed, if six months after handover, there was another coup.
I went through a coup deta’t and I survived it. We knew that there would be another coup deta’t. But not many people believed what we said. They could have allowed me to go away and then they (coup plotters) would regroup and stage another coup.”
Despite Babangida’s explanation then, many insisted that his reasons do not justify the election’s annulment. Those who hold this view believe that the former military president would have written his name in Nigeria’s hall of fame if he had not taken that decision.
However, there are Nigerians, who have continued to wonder how Abiola was able to secure the landmark victory. The fact remains that MKO at the time, symbolised the aspiration of the masses. His “Hope ‘93 Manifesto,” which became a sing-song, also played a significant role.
The policy paper was received with optimism by many, especially the downtrodden and middle class. Abiola’s political message was an optimistic future for Nigeria, with slogans such as “Farewell to poverty,” “At last! Our ray of Hope” and the “Burden of Schooling.”
His economic policy included negotiations with foreign creditors and better management of the country’s international debts. Unfortunately, he never lived to implement the policy paper in which he had provided answers to pervasive poverty and dearth of infrastructure that still bedevil the country till date.
Abiola, who would have been president between 1993 and 1998 and even beyond, died on July 7, 1998, in the custody of the Federal Government. He died under suspicious circumstances shortly after the death of Abacha and on a day that he was due to be released. His wife, Kudirat, had earlier (1996) been assassinated by agents of the government.
June 12 in history
While Abiola’s dream was stopped by the Babangida regime, events after his demise have shown that death could not becloud what he a stood. He remains in the consciousness of many, especially pro-democracy activists, who still view June 12, 1993, as a defining moment in Nigeria’s political history. This, explains the yearly convergence to mark the anniversary of the annulled election.
Until 2018, the annual ritual offered Abiola’s political associates, activists and members of his family the opportunity to continue to insist that beyond the pockets of honour done to the late politician, the worthy thing for the Federal Government to do is to posthumously acknowledge him as Nigeria’s second duly elected president.
While post-1999 administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’adua failed to heed this demand, the Goodluck Jonathan government took a major step towards immortalizing Abiola by renaming the prestigious University of Lagos (UNILAG) to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAULAG) on May 29, 2012.
The then president, in a nationwide broadcast to mark that year’s Democracy Day (then celebrated on May 29), said the honour was in respect of Abiola’s sacrifice in his pursuit of justice and truth. “Destiny and circumstances conspired to place upon his (Abiola) shoulders a historic burden, and he rose to the occasion with character and courage.
He deserves recognition for his martyrdom, and public-spiritedness and for being the man of history that he was,” Jonathan said. The gesture, which ordinarily would have earned the then president commendation, sparked-off a protest by students of the university, who trooped to the streets to reject the new name. The students, who made it clear that they had nothing against Abiola, described the name change as “provocative and unpopular.”
The university’s lecturers also condemned the name change. Most political leaders in the South-West, who were then in the opposition described the gesture as a political strategy by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to break into their zone as well as playing to the gallery given the position of successive governments by the same party before then.
Despite the criticisms, the Jonathan administration insisted on its decision to rename the university, but the protests continued. A legal suit was equally instituted against the government over the namechange. These, perhaps, forced Jonathan to reverse the decision.
However, the campaign to get the Federal Government to declare Abiola president received a major boost in 2018, when President Muhammadu Buhari (the immediate past president) declared June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day as against May 29.
Buhari also conferred on Abiola with the highest National Honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR). Others honoured were Abiola’s running mate in the 1993 election, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who were conferred with the second highest National Honour – Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON). Buhari said of the annulled election: “June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful election since our independence.”
June 12 debate rekindled
No doubt, annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election is not all about Babangida. He served Nigeria in various capacities before his emergence as head of state. He joined the Nigerian Army’s officer corps on December 10, 1962.
He was the Chief of Army Staff and a member of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) under the administration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (now president). Babangida would later overthrow Buhari’s regime, with a promise to bring to an end the human rights abuses by the Buhari regime and to hand over power to a civilian government.
In retirement, Babangida has not relented from contributing to national discourse. In the heat of the debate for restructuring of Nigeria, for example, he described it as an appeal whose time has come. He has also repeatedly called for devolution of power to give more responsibilities to the state as well as state police.
While Babangida’s views on national issues are among the most sought after and his Minna Hilltop mansion a Mecca for politicians and political office holders, his autobiography “A Journey in Service,” launched last week Thursday, has rekindled debate on the June 12, 1993 election.
MKO may have been the symbol of the Hope ‘93 campaign but June 12 was about more than one man, it was about the promise of Nigeria that would deliver for Nigerians
The book, which offers insights into key moments in the country’s history, besides the annulled election, also addresses some national controversies, including the coups of 1966 and others after that and the civil war, among others. Reflecting on his decision to annul the June 12 election, Babangida for the first time, admitted that Abiola won the election.
He also admitted that if given another chance, he will handle the situation differently. He wrote “Undoubtedly, credible, free and fair elections were held on June 12, 1993. However, the tragic irony of history remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted those near-perfect elections could not complete the process.
“That accident of history is most regrettable. The nation is entitled to expect my impression of regret. As a leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all decisions taken under my watch.” “And June 12 happened under my watch, mistakes, oversights and missteps happened in quick succession, but I say in my book, in all matters, we acted in the supreme national interest, so that Nigeria could survive.
“Our nation’s march to democracy was interrupted, a fact that I deeply regret. But Nigeria and democracy is still alive, a testament to commitment. June 12 elections was the most challenging of my life. If have to do it all over again, I’ll do it differently.”
While many are of the view that there is nothing new in Babangida’s acknowledgement that Abiola won the election, the former military president’s claim that the election was annulled without his consent, has dismissed by many. Babangida revealed that he was in Katsina when the announcement annulling the came without his knowledge or approval.
According to him, the forces behind the annulment were led by then Chief of Defence Staff, General Abacha. Babangida, who had delivered a national broadcast on June 24, 1993, to formally announce the annulment, claimed that Abacha had grown too powerful within the factionalised military, making it nearly impossible to remove him after stepping down from office in August 1993.
Recalling giving the chairman of NEC, Prof. Nwosu, a direct order to proceed with the elections despite mounting tensions, Babangida noted Nwosu abruptly stopped the announcement of result four days later without his prior knowledge or approval.
“And then, on June 16, without my knowledge or prior approval, NEC Chairman, Prof. Nwosu, announced the suspension of the June 12 election results ‘until further notice’. “I knew instantly that certain fifth columnists were at work and that there was a need for extra care! And even after that suspension of the announcements of results, ABN (Association of Better Nigeria) obtained another ‘strange’ court order from Justice Saleh’s court in Abuja, stopping the release of the results of the elections,” he wrote.
Babangida recalled that on June 23, 1993, he left Abuja for Katsina to condole with the Yar’Adua family over the passing of their patriarch, Musa Yar’Adua, a former minister of Lagos aAfairs and father of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. According to him, “the funeral had taken place, and as I got ready to leave, a report filtered to me that the June 12 election had been annulled.
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! “Equally weird was the shabby way the statement was couched and made.
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 admitted that while annulment had been discussed as one of several options, it was never meant to be executed in the manner that unfolded. “Yes, during the stalemate that followed the termination of the results announcement, the possibility of annulment that could lead to fresh elections was loosely broached in passing.
But annulment was only a component of a series of other options. “But 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!’
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.”
Abacha, Abiola’s families react
Reacting to Babangida’s position that it was late General Abacha that annulled the June 12 election, one of the former head of state’s sons, Sadiq, .in a post on Facebook, praised his late father, describing him as a leader whose legacy remains strong despite continued criticism.
He said those trying to portray his late father as a bad leader “had aspired to be like him in their later life career,” adding that his late father was the subject of envy “but history would judge him as a better leader.” “The man Abacha – you have always been the one they envied with silent deceit.
History shall remember you for being a better leader, no matter how much they try to put you down. As a son, I am most proud of you today. You indeed are the man they wish they were half of.” Abiola’s daughter, Hafsat AbiolaCostello, on her part, said while Babangida’s acknowledgement is significant, it does not change the pain and injustice suffered by her family and Nigerians. “For decades, Nigerians have known the truth.
This is not new to us. But it is important that history records it from those who played a role in that dark chapter,” she said. She noted that whenever the date is mentioned, her thoughts go to her parents, MKO and Kudirat, adding that the importance of June 12 goes beyond them, as it represented the collective hope of Nigerians for a better and more united country. Her words: “When anyone mentions June 12, my mind always goes to MKO and Kudi.
But June 12’s staying power was because the vote that Nigerians expressed that day was a vote for a better future and for unity. “MKO may have been the symbol of the Hope ‘93 campaign but June 12 was about more than one man, it was about the promise of Nigeria that would deliver for Nigerians. “For those that kept expressing doubt that Nigerians had spoken so decisively on that day, I’m glad that General IBB’s admission that MKO won the election can now lay the matter to rest.”
