Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has finally spoken in detail about the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, often regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.
Speaking at the launch of his book, A Journey in Service, Babangida took full responsibility for all actions taken during his eight-year rule but shed new light on the controversial annulment. The election, widely believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola of the now-defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), was abruptly nullified, leading to widespread political turmoil.
In his account, Babangida revealed that he was in Katsina at the time, visiting the Yar’Adua family to offer condolences on the passing of Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua. While away, he was informed of the annulment but was shocked by the manner in which it was announced.
He described the official statement as “a terse, poorly worded message written on a scrap of paper,” lacking both the presidential seal and the official government letterhead.
On page 275 of his book, Babangida distanced himself from the decision, stating that the annulment was only one of several options under discussion. He wrote, “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.”
Babangida admitted that from that moment, he realized he was trapped in a difficult situation. He expressed regret over how the annulment led to deep divisions within the Nigerian military hierarchy that same year.
Despite his regrets, he ultimately accepted responsibility for the fallout, acknowledging the lasting impact of the decision on Nigeria’s democratic journey.