Former military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida, has revealed the detailed results of the annulled 1993 presidential election in his recently released autobiography, A Journey in Service.
The election, which saw Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) face off against Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), remains one of Nigeria’s most controversial elections.
According to the figures published in the book, Abiola won 19 out of 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while Tofa secured victory in 11 states.
State-by-State Breakdown of the 1993 Presidential Election Results
Abuja (FCT): Abiola – 19,968 | Tofa – 18,313
Abia: Abiola – 105,273 | Tofa – 151,227
Adamawa: Abiola – 140,875 | Tofa – 167,239
Akwa Ibom: Abiola – 214,787 | Tofa – 199,342
Anambra: Abiola – 212,024 | Tofa – 159,258
Bauchi: Abiola – 339,339 | Tofa – 524,836
Benue: Abiola – 264,830 | Tofa – 186,302
Borno: Abiola – 153,496 | Tofa – 128,684
Cross River: Abiola – 189,303 | Tofa – 153,452
Delta: Abiola – 327,277 | Tofa – 145,001
Edo: Abiola – 205,407 | Tofa – 103,572
Enugu: Abiola – 263,101 | Tofa – 284,050
Imo: Abiola – 159,350 | Tofa – 195,836
Jigawa: Abiola – 138,552 | Tofa – 89,836
Kaduna: Abiola – 389,713 | Tofa – 356,860
Kano: Abiola – 169,619 | Tofa – 154,809
Katsina: Abiola – 171,162 | Tofa – 271,077
Kebbi: Abiola – 70,219 | Tofa – 144,808
Kogi: Abiola – 222,760 | Tofa – 265,732
Kwara: Abiola – 272,270 | Tofa – 80,209
Lagos: Abiola – 883,865 | Tofa – 149,432
Niger: Abiola – 136,350 | Tofa – 221,437
Ogun: Abiola – 425,725 | Tofa – 59,246
Ondo: Abiola – 883,024 | Tofa – 162,994
Osun: Abiola – 365,266 | Tofa – 72,068
Oyo: Abiola – 536,011 | Tofa – 105,788
Plateau: Abiola – 417,565 | Tofa – 259,394
Rivers: Abiola – 370,578 | Tofa – 640,973
Sokoto: Abiola – 97,726 | Tofa – 372,250
Taraba: Abiola – 101,887 | Tofa – 64,001
Yobe: Abiola – 11,887 | Tofa – 64,061
Key Highlights from the Results
Abiola won in key southern states, including Lagos (883,865 votes), Ondo (883,024 votes), and Ogun (425,725 votes).
Tofa dominated in northern states, winning in places like Sokoto (372,250 votes), Bauchi (524,836 votes), and Katsina (271,077 votes).
Abiola narrowly edged out Tofa in Kano, Tofa’s home state, with a vote count of 169,619 against 154,809.
Tofa won Rivers State with 640,973 votes, while Abiola secured 370,578.
Despite Abiola’s apparent victory, Babangida annulled the election, citing national security concerns, a decision that remains a significant point of debate in Nigeria’s political history.
