32 years after the June 12, 1993 presidential election, former military president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has finally admitted that Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) won the election.

In his newly launched autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service,’ unveiled in Abuja, Babangida revealed that the annulment of the election was orchestrated by forces within his administration, led by General Sani Abacha, who was then Chief of Army Staff and later Minister of Defence.

While accepting full responsibility for the annulment as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, Babangida admitted that the military underestimated the consequences of its actions.

In the autobiography, Babangida acknowledged that Chief Abiola met all the constitutional requirements to be declared President:

“Upon closer examination of the original collated figures from the 110,000 polling booths nationwide, it was clear that Abiola satisfied the constitutional requirements, having obtained 8,128,720 votes against Tofa’s 5,848,247 votes and securing the mandatory one-third of votes cast in 28 states, including Abuja.”

He revealed that powerful forces within the military were so opposed to an Abiola presidency that he feared Abiola would be assassinated if he became president.

“I was convinced that if he became President, he would be quickly eliminated by the same forces who pretended to be his friends. Having experienced a civil war, I was not prepared to see another.”

Babangida described the annulment as a shocking and regrettable event in Nigeria’s history.

Babangida revealed that the June 23, 1993, annulment announcement was made without his authorization while he was in Katsina, condoling with the Yar’Adua family.

“I was alarmed and horrified when I learned that Admiral Aikhomu’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, had read a poorly worded statement annulling the election—without the presidential seal or official government letterhead.”

According to him, he was outflanked by Abacha and other powerful figures in his administration who were determined to prevent Abiola from assuming office.

“It was painful to later discover that, apart from Abacha, some of my closest colleagues, including a Lieutenant General, were deeply involved in the plot to eliminate me.”

Babangida said he reached out to Abiola through traditional leaders to find a solution, even offering him an interim position, but Abiola rejected the offer.

“Understandably, Abiola refused. He believed he had legitimately won and saw no reason to accept an interim arrangement.”

He lamented that Abacha’s ambitions and internal divisions within the military eventually led to his forced resignation and Abacha’s eventual coup later in 1993.

Babangida acknowledged that the annulment of the June 12 election caused national turmoil, triggering protests, international condemnation, and years of political instability.

“As the leader of the administration, I take full responsibility. The June 12 saga remains the most challenging and painful moment of my life.”

Despite accepting responsibility, he insisted that his actions were driven by a desire to prevent national disintegration and a military bloodbath.

Addressing the mystery surrounding the 1986 death of Dele Giwa, Babangida denied any government involvement and expressed hope that the truth would one day be revealed.

“The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation. I still hope the truth about Dele Giwa’s murder will be uncovered in our lifetime or after us.”

The launch of IBB’s Presidential Library in Abuja attracted billions of naira in donations from prominent Nigerians:

Aliko Dangote – ₦8 billion

Abdulsamad Rabiu (BUA Group) – ₦5 billion

General Theophilus Danjuma – ₦3 billion

Chief Arthur Eze – ₦500 million

Senator Sani Musa – ₦250 million

Senate President Godswill Akpabio – ₦50 million

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas – ₦25 million

In his speech at the launch, Babangida reflected on his time in office and the legacy of his administration.

“Our nation’s march to democracy was interrupted, a fact I deeply regret. But Nigeria survived, and democracy remains alive today—a testament to our resilience and commitment to progress.”