Military Betrayal Exposed: IBB Points Finger at Abacha for 1993 Election Disaster

In a candid revelation, 32 years after the controversial annulment of Nigeria’s June 12, 1993, presidential election, former military president Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) has expressed deep regret over the decision. In his new memoir, A Journey in Service, released on Thursday, Babangida sheds light on the events leading to the annulment and places blame on his former ally, General Sani Abacha, and other military officers.

The 420-page book chronicles Babangida’s time in power, offering insights into the tough choices and turbulent moments that shaped Nigeria’s history. Among the most significant is the 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as free, fair, and credible, which saw Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) emerge as the victor. Babangida, who annulled the election in a national broadcast on June 24, 1993, now fully acknowledges that Abiola had indeed won, securing 8,128,720 votes to Bashir Tofa’s 5,848,247. Abiola also met the constitutional requirements, including winning a third of the votes in 28 states.

However, Babangida places the blame for the annulment on military officers, led by then-Chief of Defence Staff Sani Abacha, who, according to Babangida, acted without his approval. Despite taking full responsibility for the annulment, Babangida expresses regret in his memoir, admitting that the decision was a mistake under his watch.

“I regret June 12. I accept full responsibility for the decisions taken, and June 12 happened under my watch,” Babangida wrote. His reflections on the events leading up to the annulment reveal a series of missteps, including the role of military factions and legal battles that escalated tensions in the lead-up to the election.

The memoir also touches on the dramatic turn of events that followed the annulment, including Babangida’s resignation in August 1993 and the installation of an interim government led by Ernest Shonekan. However, just three months later, Abacha staged a coup, overthrowing Shonekan’s government and taking control of the country.

The former military leader delves into the chaotic situation that unfolded just days before the election, when the controversial Association to Better Nigeria (ABN), led by Arthur Nzeribe, filed an injunction that delayed the election. Babangida recounts how a judge granted the injunction, despite laws prohibiting any interference with the electoral process. The day before the election, the situation reached a boiling point in a tense National Defence and Security Council meeting, but Babangida decided to go ahead with the vote, backed by the chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), Professor Humphrey Nwosu.

However, when the election results were suspended on June 16, Babangida discovered that it was done without his knowledge or consent, which further raised suspicions of an internal conspiracy. This was the beginning of a series of events that culminated in the ultimate annulment of the election.

Reflecting on the aftermath, Babangida says he realized that forces within his military circle had outmaneuvered him, leading to a decision that would become one of Nigeria’s most enduring political tragedies. While he still takes responsibility for the annulment, his memoir reveals a deeper understanding of the internal power struggles that led to that fateful moment in Nigerian history.

With this memoir, Babangida offers a long-awaited and powerful account of the events that forever altered Nigeria’s democratic journey, and as the country continues to reflect on the legacy of June 12, 1993, his words have sparked renewed discussions about the choices made during his military rule.