By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
Lekan Abiola, son of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, has revealed that former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retired), privately apologised to the Abiola family over the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Speaking on Thursday at the MKO Abiola Memorial Symposium in Lagos, Lekan said the apology, which was initially delivered behind closed doors, was later repeated publicly by the former head of state.
“We returned from the United States and met IBB. He apologised to us privately. When he came out publicly to say he was sorry for annulling the election and admitted that MKO won, he was simply repeating in public what he had already told us in private,” he said.
Lekan noted that although the family had accepted the private apology, the public statement helped to clear long-standing doubts about the true outcome of the June 12 election.
“For someone to punch you in public and apologise in private, there’s little comfort in that. But when he admitted publicly that MKO won the election, it helped put to rest the constant questions and conspiracy theories,” he added.
According to him, Babangida now consistently sends representatives to honour the late Abiola during annual June 12 events, further indicating a reconciliatory posture.
He also urged President Bola Tinubu to give legal backing to June 12 as Nigeria’s official Democracy Day to prevent any future reversal.
The June 12 election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, was annulled by Babangida’s regime, plunging the country into political turmoil and leading to the eventual incarceration and death of Chief Abiola, who was believed to have won the polls.
