Thirty-two years after quitting office, former Military President Ibrahim Babangida has expressed deep regret over the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, acknowledging that mistakes were made under his leadership.
Speaking at the launch of his autobiography A Journey in Service in Abuja, Babangida admitted he would have handled the situation differently if given another opportunity.
He described the election, contested by Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention, as the best in Nigeria’s history.
“I regret June 12. I accept full responsibility for the decisions taken, and June 12 happened under my watch. Mistakes and missteps happened in quick succession,” he said.
While previously defending the annulment, Babangida had argued that Nigeria was not ready for democratic rule at the time. He now acknowledges that the decision, though influenced by security concerns, had far-reaching consequences.
“We knew the possible consequences of handing over to a democratic government. We wanted ours to be the last military coup. But to be honest, the situation was not ripe for a transition,” he explained.
Babangida disclosed that plans were in place for another election in November 1993 to address concerns raised after the annulment. However, widespread hostility made it impossible, leading to the establishment of an Interim National Government, which was later overthrown by General Sani Abacha.
Despite the justification he once offered, Babangida now describes the annulment as unfortunate, marking a shift in his stance on one of Nigeria’s most controversial political decisions.
Crediblenewsng.com
