Babangida Breaks Silence on June 12 Annulment, Blames Abacha for Election Crisis
Three decades after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, former military president Ibrahim Babangida has finally opened up about the events leading to the controversial decision. In his newly released memoir, A Journey in Service, launched in Abuja on Thursday, Babangida detailed the behind-the-scenes intrigues that led to the annulment of the election, widely considered the most credible in Nigeria’s history.
‘Annulment Happened Without My Permission’
Babangida revealed that he was in Katsina when the announcement to annul the election, won by MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), was made by his deputy’s press secretary without his knowledge or approval. According to him, the forces against the election were led by Sani Abacha, his Chief of Defence Staff, who later became Head of State after overthrowing the interim government in November 1993.
“As I got ready to leave Katsina, a report filtered to me that the June 12 elections had been annulled. Even more bizarre was the extent of the annulment, as it terminated all court proceedings regarding the election, repealed decrees governing the transition, and even suspended NEC,” Babangida wrote.
He expressed shock at the manner in which the announcement was made, stating that Admiral Augustus Aikhomu’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, read a “poorly worded statement” on a scrap of paper that lacked both a presidential seal and an official government letterhead.
The Role of ABN and the Judiciary
Babangida traced the events leading to the annulment back to June 10, 1993, when the Association for a Better Nigeria (ABN), led by Arthur Nzeribe, secured an injunction from Justice Bassey Ikpeme of the Abuja High Court to halt the elections. He admitted that while Nzeribe was close to him, he did not support the ABN’s activities.
“Justice Ikpeme, in the dead of night, in clear violation of Decree 13, which barred courts from interfering in electoral processes, granted an injunction stopping NEC from conducting the June 12 elections. There was confusion everywhere.”
Despite this, Babangida convened an emergency meeting of the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC), where opinions were divided on whether the elections should proceed. General Sani Abacha, Lt-General Joshua Dogonyaro, and some Service Chiefs supported postponement, while NEC Chairman Professor Humphrey Nwosu insisted that he had the legal authority to conduct the elections.
“I decided that the elections should proceed, backed firmly by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Salihu Ibrahim. I looked across the room and said to Nwosu: ‘Go ahead with the elections. Hold a world press conference and tell everyone the elections will be held as planned.’”
The Election and Its Aftermath
Voting proceeded peacefully on June 12, 1993, but on June 16, Nwosu suspended the announcement of results without Babangida’s approval. The ABN then obtained another court order from Justice Saleh’s court in Abuja to stop the release of the results.
By June 23, while Babangida was in Katsina attending the funeral of Musa Yar’Adua, he received news that the election had been annulled.
“I knew instantly that certain fifth columnists were at work. I would later find out that the forces led by General Sani Abacha annulled the elections.”
‘I Take Responsibility’
Despite the intrigues and external pressures, Babangida admitted in his memoir that he ultimately bears responsibility for the annulment.
“Yes, during the stalemate, annulment was loosely broached as an option. But to suddenly have an announcement made without my authority was alarming. I remember saying, ‘These nefarious inside forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me!’”
Following the crisis, Babangida stepped down in August 1993, handing over to an interim government led by Ernest Shonekan, which was later overthrown by Abacha in November 1993. Abacha subsequently jailed Abiola, who later died in detention in 1998 while still fighting for his mandate.
Babangida’s memoir, A Journey in Service, offers a rare insight into one of Nigeria’s most turbulent political events, revealing new details on the internal power struggles that shaped the fate of Nigeria’s democracy.
