Former military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (retd), has said that the annulment of the 1993 Presidential Election was annulled for national interest.

Moshood Kashimawo Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Party (NRC) contested the annulled election.

Speaking at the launch of his autobiography in Abuja, Babangida said extreme national interest made his regime annul the election.

This is coming after 32 years of silence from the former military general when the election was annulled.

“As the leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all my decisions. And June 12 happened under my watch,” he said.

“Mistakes, oversights, and missteps happen in quick succession but I say in my book, in all occasions, we acted in extreme national interest.”

Babangida said he regrets the annulment of the election and admitted that MKO Abiola indeed won the 1993 presidential election and should have been declared winner.