Falana threatens to sue IBB for 1993 detention over June 12 annulment

Falana threatens to sue IBB for 1993 detention over June 12 annulment 

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, is set to challenge his malicious detention and prosecution under the regime of former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB).

This was announced on Tuesday after IBB’s recently launched book, ‘A journey in Service’ attempted to address the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.

Falana spoke Tuesday night on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’, recounting how IBB ordered his arrest and detention with the late legal luminary Chief Gani Fawehinmi, late activist Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, and other pro-democracy campaigners.

The group was charged with unlawful assembly and sedition for challenging the annulment.

Falana recalled how, on June 26, 1993, IBB justified the annulment, citing alleged electoral corruption—despite widespread acceptance that the poll was free and fair. He noted that IBB personally signed the decree nullifying the election and dissolved the Presidential Election Tribunal led by Justice Bola Babalakin.

“Now, he wants to give the impression that some forces, without his knowledge, annulled the election. But Babangida himself exercised that power against the interest of Nigerians,” Falana said.

“He deliberately arrested, detained, and paraded me as a criminal, only to say now, ‘We regret what we did.’ That means he knew all along that our prosecution was unjust,” Falana said.

“I have assembled a team of lawyers, and we are taking legal action,” he declared.

“IBB’s admission proves that our detention was not only malicious but an abuse of power.

“He violated our right to liberty, freedom of movement, and democratic choice.”