A political storm has erupted over the legacy of Nigeria’s June 12, 1993, presidential election as former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido accused President Bola Tinubu of supporting the controversial annulment of the historic poll, widely believed to have been won by Chief Moshood Abiola.
Lamido, in an interview on Arise Television on Saturday, claimed that Tinubu, a senator at the time under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), backed then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida’s annulment of the election, which plunged Nigeria into years of political turmoil.
According to Lamido, Tinubu only became prominent in the democratic struggle after General Sani Abacha seized power later in 1993, insisting that the President was never part of the early resistance against the annulment.
“With all due respect to him, he was part of those who supported Babangida. His mother even mobilised Lagos market women to support the annulment,” Lamido alleged. “It was only after Abacha came in that Tinubu emerged as a so-called pro-democracy activist. He ran away while some of us stayed behind to fight.”
The former governor, who served as the SDP National Secretary during the period, further accused Tinubu of rewriting history to exaggerate his contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey. He said he is ready to join any political coalition to unseat Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Presidency Fires Back
The Presidency swiftly responded, dismissing Lamido’s claims as “a distortion of history” and accusing the ex-governor of engaging in political revisionism.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Lamido’s remarks were “false and misleading.”
“Contrary to Lamido’s falsehoods, Tinubu was one of the earliest and most consistent voices against the annulment of June 12,” Onanuga stated. “On the Senate floor in August 1993, Tinubu openly condemned the annulment and described it as a coup d’état. He called on Nigerians to reject injustice and abuse of power.”
Citing official records and parliamentary contributions, the Presidency said Tinubu stood firm against the annulment even before Abacha dissolved democratic institutions in November 1993.
“Tinubu, along with a few other senators, reconvened in Lagos in defiance of the junta after the National Assembly was dissolved. He was arrested, detained, and later forced into exile. While in exile, he financed pro-democracy protests, including the blockade of Lagos bridges,” Onanuga said.
The Presidency also dismissed the claim about Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilising support for Babangida. “This is patently false. Had she done that, she would have lost her position as market leader in Lagos,” the statement added.
Onanuga accused Lamido and other SDP leaders of capitulating to the military regime. “It is on record that Lamido and the late Chief Tony Anenih, as leaders of the SDP, failed to resist the annulment and instead aligned with the defeated NRC, betraying Abiola and the democratic mandate of Nigerians,” he alleged.
‘Tinubu Was Backbone of NADECO’
The statement also chronicled Tinubu’s key role in the formation of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in May 1994, which became the main platform for the pro-democracy movement. It credited Tinubu with helping sustain activists in Nigeria and in exile, including those behind the Nigeria Liberty Council (NALICON), led by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka.
“Tinubu’s home was bombed. He lived in exile for five years. He funded the movement, backed journalists, activists, and protests. These are verifiable facts. Lamido, on the other hand, remained in Nigeria, making deals with Abacha,” the statement claimed.
The Presidency warned against what it called an orchestrated campaign of historical revisionism by what it described as “a coalition of the disgruntled.”
“We do not want to believe Lamido suffers from the tall poppy syndrome, but his attempts to tear down Tinubu’s legacy suggest envy,” the statement concluded.
Background
The June 12, 1993, election—hailed as Nigeria’s freest and fairest—was believed to have been won by MKO Abiola, but was annulled by Babangida, sparking national outrage. Abiola was later jailed after declaring himself president in 1994 and died in custody in 1998.
In 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously recognised June 12 as Nigeria’s official Democracy Day and conferred Abiola with the national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).
With the latest political salvo, the legacy of June 12 continues to ignite controversy more than three decades later, now serving as a battleground for the 2027 general elections.
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