Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has revealed a historic moment of political candor, disclosing that he once urged former military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), to resign following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Lamido made the revelation in his newly launched memoir, Being True to Myself, a 487-page book unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday. In the book, he recounts his private conversation with IBB after the controversial annulment of the election, widely believed to have been won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
According to Lamido, during his first-ever meeting with Babangida, he did not hesitate to voice his displeasure over the annulment and advised the former military leader to vacate office.
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“In my discussion with Babangida, being the first time we met, he found me genuine, with no pretensions, and even maybe naive,” Lamido wrote.
“Then he asked me, ‘Sule, what do I do?’ In my naive and innocent way, I told him frankly, ‘Sir, you must resign and leave office.’
Immediately I said that, his countenance changed. I saw fire in his eyes; for some minutes, he was speechless.”
Lamido further stated that although he was initially satisfied with the formation of the Interim National Government (ING), he viewed it as a necessary step to facilitate Babangida’s exit from power.
The former governor also touched on the 1999 return to democratic rule, emphasizing that the choice of former military head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate was strategic.
“The choice of Obasanjo as PDP candidate for the presidential election was to heal the June 12 wound,” he wrote.
The book launch attracted Nigeria’s most prominent political figures, underscoring Lamido’s enduring influence in national discourse. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), and former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, were also in attendance.
Former Senate President Iyorchia Ayu reviewed the book, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, led the book’s official launch.
Lamido’s memoir offers rare insights into Nigeria’s political history, especially the fallout of the annulled June 12 election and the transitional complexities that followed.
