Former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has revealed that the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Babangida made this admission in his newly launched autobiography, A Journey in Service, which was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday. The book reviewer, former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, conveyed Babangida’s acknowledgment that Abiola, who contested under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), secured both the majority of votes and the required geographical spread to be declared president.
“There was no doubt in my mind; MKO Abiola won the election. He satisfied all the requirements,” Babangida wrote, describing the annulment of the election as the most challenging decision of his life.
He also expressed satisfaction that former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously recognized Abiola as the rightful winner by conferring on him Nigeria’s highest national honor, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), a title reserved for presidents.
The June 12, 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, was controversially annulled by the Babangida-led military government, plunging the country into political turmoil.
More details to follow.
