MURIC Rejects Babangida’s Claim on June 12 Annulment, Condemns Memoir as ‘Provocative’
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has strongly rejected former military leader General Ibrahim Babangida’s (rtd) attempt to absolve himself of responsibility for the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, February 23, 2025, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described Babangida’s claims in his newly launched memoir as a distortion of history.
Babangida’s book, A Journey In Service, launched on February 20, 2025, at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, blames the late General Sani Abacha for the controversial annulment of the June 12 election. He claimed that Abacha, his then-chief of defence staff, led the opposition against the election and sought to violently overthrow his government. Babangida further alleged that he was in Katsina when his second-in-command’s press secretary announced the annulment without his knowledge or authorization.
MURIC, however, dismissed these claims, insisting that the responsibility for the annulment rests solely on Babangida.
MURIC’s Statement
“We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) totally reject all attempts by the former military dictator to shift blame for the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. The buck stops at IBB’s table. His alibi is baseless,” the statement read.
The group accused Babangida of destroying Nigeria’s democratic progress by annulling what was widely regarded as the country’s freest and fairest election.
MURIC also condemned the book launch, calling it an insult to the memories of those who lost their lives during Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle.
“February 20, 2025, was a sad day for patriotic Nigerians. It was a day former dictators and enemies of democracy were celebrated while the masses they betrayed continued to suffer the consequences of their actions.”
The statement went further to recall the role of Babangida’s regime in destabilizing Nigeria’s political landscape, including the overthrow of the Buhari-Idiagbon administration and the subsequent military misrule that followed.
“IBB incarcerated Buhari and denied him the right to attend his mother’s funeral. The lives of many innocent Nigerians were lost under the IBB-Abacha military dictatorship. The streets of Lagos and Ibadan were littered with dead bodies. The brutal assassination of Chief MKO Abiola and his wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, remains one of the darkest stains on Nigeria’s history,” the group said.
MURIC also expressed deep disappointment in political leaders who attended the book launch, describing their actions as a betrayal of democracy.
“The public display of arrogance and impunity at Transcorp Hilton was outrageous and provocative. Our leaders have failed to learn the art of healing. Nigeria is yet to fully recover from the trauma of June 12 and the violent political killings that followed.”
MURIC Honors Heroes of Democracy
While condemning Babangida, MURIC paid tribute to those who fought for democracy, including the late MKO Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, and Chief Alfred Rewane. It also commended living activists such as Professor Wole Soyinka, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Professor Sylvester Odion Akhaine, Shehu Sani, and leaders of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
The statement concluded by warning that Babangida’s book serves as a reminder of Nigeria’s painful past and that history will not forget those responsible for the nation’s darkest moments.