Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has publicly admitted that the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola was the rightful winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
However, he maintains that annulling what is widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election was the most difficult decision of his life.
The revelation is captured in Babangida’s newly launched autobiography, A Journey in Service, which was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday. The book, a candid reflection on his years in power, revisits one of Nigeria’s most contentious political events—a decision that not only altered the country’s democratic trajectory but also sparked nationwide protests and political unrest.
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“There was no doubt in my mind; MKO Abiola won the election. He satisfied all the requirements,” Babangida stated.
For years, the retired general had maintained a cautious stance when addressing the election’s annulment. But in A Journey in Service, he finally acknowledges what many Nigerians have insisted upon for three decades—that Abiola’s victory was legitimate.
Babangida’s words carry the weight of history. His admission is not just a recounting of events but a recognition of a nation’s pain.
The June 12 election marked a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic evolution. It was an election that saw Nigerians, across ethnic and religious lines, unite in support of a single candidate. Yet, the military regime, citing concerns over national security, abruptly annulled the results. The fallout was immediate and severe—protests, arrests, and eventually, Abiola’s imprisonment. The businessman-turned-politician would later die in detention under mysterious circumstances on July 7, 1998.
In the book, Babangida reflects on this turbulent period, calling it “the most difficult period of my life.”
“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,” he writes.
Babangida accepts full responsibility for the annulment, yet he insists that his administration acted in “the supreme national interest.” He suggests that while the decision was regrettable, it was taken to ensure Nigeria’s survival.
“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,” he states.
His words, however, may offer little solace to those who lived through the chaos that followed. For many, the annulment was not a mistake but a calculated political maneuver—one that cost Nigeria years of democratic progress.
While the annulment remains a dark stain on Nigeria’s history, Babangida takes some comfort in the fact that former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously honored Abiola with the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) title, a recognition traditionally reserved for Nigerian presidents.
This belated recognition, along with the declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s official Democracy Day, was seen as an attempt to correct history’s course. But for many, it was not enough. The democracy Abiola fought for—the one Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for in 1993—was denied him.
