Former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has revealed that the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was orchestrated by forces within his government, led by General Sani Abacha, his Chief of Defence Staff at the time.
In his memoir, A Journey in Service, Babangida recounted events surrounding the annulment of the election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history. The election was won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Babangida claimed the announcement of the annulment occurred without his knowledge while he was in Katsina to console the Yar’Adua family over the death of their patriarch. He described how his second-in-command’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, issued a statement annulling the election.
“I was alarmed and horrified,” Babangida wrote. “Even more bizarre was the extent of the annulment, as it terminated all court proceedings regarding the June 12 elections, repealed all decrees governing the transition, and suspended the National Electoral Commission (NEC).”
He disclosed that forces opposed to the June 12 election, led by Abacha, had outmaneuvered him. “I remember saying, ‘These nefarious inside forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me.’ I would later find out that the ‘forces’ led by General Sani Abacha annulled the elections,” he said.
Babangida explained that the crisis began two days before the election when Justice Bassey Ikpeme of the Abuja High Court, acting on a suit filed by the Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), granted an injunction halting the polls. He admitted that ABN leader Arthur Nzeribe was close to him but denied supporting the group’s actions.
“There was confusion everywhere,” he wrote. “Strangely, Justice Ikpeme granted an injunction stopping NEC from conducting the elections, even though it was a clear violation of Decree 13, which barred any court from interfering with NEC’s operations.”
Despite the court order, Babangida said he instructed NEC Chairman, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, to proceed with the election. However, he was shocked when, on June 16, Nwosu announced the suspension of the election results.
“And then, on June 16, without my knowledge or prior approval, NEC Chairman, Professor Nwosu, announced the suspension of the June 12 election results ‘until further notice.’ I knew instantly that certain fifth columnists were at work and that there was a need for extra care!”
Babangida admitted that the annulment took a “painful twist” and remains a major source of regret. “The June 12 elections took on a painful twist for which, as I will show later, I regrettably take responsibility,” he said.
The aftermath of the annulment saw Babangida step down in August 1993, handing power to an interim government led by Ernest Shonekan, which was later toppled by Abacha in November of the same year. Abacha subsequently detained Abiola after he declared himself president.