metro

Babangida reveals Abacha’s role in June 12 election annulment

Published

10 months ago

February 21, 2025

Former military presidents, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha

Babangida reveals Abacha’s role in June 12 election annulment

Former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, has finally opened up about the controversial June 12, 1993, presidential election annulment by his regime.

The election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, was won by Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

However, its annulment plunged the nation into political turmoil, with many blaming Babangida for denying Nigerians their democratic choice.

In his newly released autobiography titled “A Journey in Service,” presented in Abuja on Thursday, Babangida revealed shocking details about the annulment.

According to TheCable, the former leader claimed he was in Katsina when news of the annulment broke—without his knowledge or approval.

Babangida alleged that the move was orchestrated by powerful forces within the military, led by then Chief of Defence Staff, Sani Abacha, who would later seize power and rule as military head of state.

Babangida, who had delivered a national broadcast on June 24, 1993, to formally announce the annulment, claimed that Abacha had grown too powerful within the factionalised military, making it nearly impossible to remove him after stepping down from office in August 1993.

Abacha’s grip on power tightened further when he ousted Ernest Shonekan’s Interim National Government in November 1993 and later detained Abiola for declaring himself president.

‘Abacha Led the Anti-June 12 Forces’
Babangida recalls giving the chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, a direct order to proceed with the elections despite mounting tensions.

READ ALSO:

“Go ahead with the elections. Go to your office, hold a world press conference and tell everyone the elections will be held tomorrow as planned,” he said he directed the electoral commission boss.

Yet, just four days later, Nwosu abruptly stopped the announcement of results—an action Babangida insisted was carried out without his prior knowledge or approval.

“And then, on June 16, without my knowledge or prior approval, NEC Chairman, Professor Nwosu, announced the suspension of the June 12 election results ‘until further notice’.

“I knew instantly that certain fifth columnists were at work and that there was a need for extra care! And even after that suspension of the announcements of results, ABN obtained another ‘strange’ court order from Justice Saleh’s court in Abuja, stopping the release of the results of the elections,” he continued.

On June 23, 1993, Babangida left Abuja for Katsina to condole with the Yar’Adua family over the passing of their patriarch, Musa Yar’Adua, a former minister of Lagos affairs and father of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

He added, “The funeral had taken place, and as I got ready to leave, a report filtered to me that the June 12 elections had been annulled.

“Even more bizarre was the extent of the annulment because it terminated all court proceedings regarding the June 12 elections, repealed all the decrees governing the Transition and even suspended NEC!

“Equally weird was the shabby way the statement was couched and made. Admiral (Augustus) Aikhomu’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, had read out a terse, poorly worded statement from a scrap of paper, which bore neither the presidential seal nor the official letterhead of the government, annulling the June 12 presidential elections. I was alarmed and horrified.”

Babangida admitted that while annulment had been discussed as one of several options, it was never meant to be executed in the manner that unfolded.

“Yes, during the stalemate that followed the termination of the results announcement, the possibility of annulment that could lead to fresh elections was loosely broached in passing. But annulment was only a component of a series of other options.

“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.

“There and then, I knew I was caught between ‘a devil and the deep blue sea’!! From then on, the June 12 elections took on a painful twist for which, as I will show later, I regrettably take responsibility.”

Babangida reveals Abacha’s role in June 12 election annulment

Related Topics:Abacha Babangida Election Featured June 12

Up Next

Portable case adjourned to March 5, gets N2m bail

Don't Miss

Beware of fake VIN, concealed number plates, Lagos govt warns motorists

metro

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Published

14 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

File photo

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

Chairman of Sabon Birni Local Government Area in Sokoto State, Ayuba Hashimu, has dismissed viral reports alleging that bandits attacked a mosque in the council area, killing an Imam and several worshippers.

Some online platforms had circulated claims that armed bandits stormed a mosque in Sabon Birni, murdered the Imam and congregants, and abducted others.
However, Hashimu, speaking by telephone, described the reports as entirely false.

“I don’t know any mosque that was attacked, not to talk of killing of an Imam and worshippers. The story is false,” he stated.

A member of the state legislature representing the area, Hon. Aminu Boza, also debunked the claims, insisting that no mosque attack occurred on Saturday.

READ ALSO:

“I don’t know how they got their story, but it is not true. No mosque was attacked by bandits,” he said.

While officials denied the alleged mosque incident, a separate early morning assault on Gatawa town within the same LGA resulted in five deaths and left one person critically injured.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Trust that six people — including two married women, two teenage girls and two young boys — were abducted by attackers suspected to be bandits.

“The bandits invaded our community around 1:30 a.m. and started shooting sporadically. Our vigilantes engaged them, but four of them paid the supreme price on the spot. Two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to the hospital, but one later died,” the resident said.

He added that the attackers also stole livestock as they fled.
“We heard them exchanging fire with security agents, but none of the abducted persons was rescued,” he recounted.

Sokoto Officials Deny Mosque Attack as Bandits Kill Five in Gatawa Raid

metro

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

Published

14 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Almajiri school

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

The Federal Government has commenced the official recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, in a renewed push to overhaul Almajiri education across the country.

The move was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), during an interview in Abuja on Sunday. He described the recovery process as a crucial step toward fully revamping and institutionalising Almajiri education.

Muhammad explained that the effort follows the establishment of a legally backed national body now responsible for all Almajiri-related programmes — a structure he said was missing during earlier reform attempts.

READ ALSO:

While commending former President Jonathan for constructing the schools, which he described as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system,” Muhammad noted that the previous initiative struggled due to weak policy implementation, including inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the Almajiri system.

He added that the lack of a strong institutional framework — with the project operating only as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education — contributed to its challenges.

According to him, the Commission is now strengthened by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, positioning it to deliver sustainable reforms.

Muhammad expressed confidence that harmful practices linked to the Almajiri system would be addressed, emphasising that all recovered schools would soon be fully under the Commission’s control and rehabilitated to serve their original purpose.

FG Begins Recovery of 157 Almajiri Schools

metro

Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Published

20 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

Delta State Police Arrest Suspects in Killing of Retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu

The Delta State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of retired Justice Ifeoma Okogwu in Anambra State, arresting key suspects linked to the case.

Spokesperson SP Bright Edafe disclosed on Sunday that operatives of the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), acting on credible intelligence, apprehended 25-year-old security guard Godwin Mngumi on 6 December 2025. Mngumi allegedly murdered the retired judge, and authorities also recovered the deceased’s mobile phone from him.

READ ALSO:

According to Edafe, Mngumi confessed to inviting a friend, Nnaji Obalum, and another accomplice — who remains at large — to the residence where the crime was committed. Obalum has since been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the third suspect.

The arrests mark a major step forward in the effort to bring all perpetrators of the high-profile murder to justice.