June 12: More knocks on IBB over annulment of Abiola’s victory

• Agbeyegbe tasks ex-military ruler on public apology
• Group tags confession betrayal of trust
• He should be jailed for life, says Aborisade
• Fani-Kayode urges Nigerians to appreciate confession

Former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), has been urged to issue a public apology to Nigerians over his confession that the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Moshood Abiola, won the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which he (IBB) annulled.

The erstwhile military leader had disclosed in his autobiography entitled ‘A Journey in Service’, which was launched last Thursday in Abuja, that the annulment of the election was an “accident of history.”

Meanwhile, the June 12 Democracy Movement of Nigeria faulted IBB for shifting the blame of the annulment on one of his lieutenants, the late Gen Sani Abacha, describing him as an “escapist” who is not taking responsibility for his actions.

An Ibadan-based human rights activist, Femi Aborisade, said Babangida should be in prison for the rest of his life for damaging the country through the annulment.

But former Minister of Aviation and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode, commended Babangida for admitting annulling the election won by Abiola, saying Nigerians “need to appreciate him for this gesture.”

A founding member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Fred Agbeyegbe, said the ex-general should stop playing politics with the June 12 election by saying different things at different times regarding his annulment of the freest, fairest and the most peaceful election in Nigeria.

He said the ex-general and his colleagues should be continuously held accountable for what Nigeria is facing today, having had the opportunity to allow the outcome of the June 12 election to stay, but for personal interest, annulled it.

“If Babangida is serious and remorseful, he should issue a public apology and beg Nigerians for his action and stop talking to Nigerians as if we meant nothing.

“Did Babangida understand that many people died because he annulled the election? Did he realise the economic impact of the annulment? Did he know how the annulment destroyed the peaceful coexistence among the ethnic nationalities in this country? Did he also realise and think back what damage his military constituency did to Nigeria? I don’t think he should continue to take Nigeria for granted,” Agbeyegbe said.

According to him, Babangida should be reminded that the military cabal planted Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, which says the military cannot be held accountable for what they did during their era in power.

“This aspect of the constitution was done to protect Babangida and his colleagues, who put Nigeria in the present mess,” he added.
THE June 12 movement, in a statement by its convener, Wale Okuniyi, asserted that IBB was only being smart and mercurial in that regard as he was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and “Kabiyesi” of the then military regime.

The group said IBB’s confession further validated and vindicated their calls for Abiola’s victory restoration. It stated: “In the light of the confession and revelation by IBB in his book, we wish to affirm that a very clear basis has again been created for Nigeria to initiate an urgent national commission and process for national reconciliation and healing, in the mode of the Oputa Panel, that can ultimately convene a major national conference of all Nigerian stakeholders to move the country forward.”

A Southwest group, Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, also faulted the failure of the political class at the book launch for failing to extract an apology from IBB.

The President, Akin Malaolu, added: “That the late Abiola was not remembered at the occasion was a betrayal to the generality of the Nigerian people, particularly to the Yoruba race. We are sad.”

IN an interview with The Guardian, Aborisade maintained that Babangida should be in prison for the rest of his life for insincerity in his regrets, after damaging the country. Aborisade emphasised that the June 12 annulment was a disservice to Nigerians, as it had caused untold deaths and bloodshed.

The human rights lawyer said: “IBB is a tyrannical villain, who should be tried for annulling the democratic electoral choice of the Nigerian people in the June 12 presidential election. IBB sheds crocodile tears. He is insincere in his so-called regrets. He has done incalculable damage to societal development.”
FANI-KAYODE, in a post on his personal Facebook page entitled ‘President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida: An Irrepressible Enigma And Enduring Institution’, stated that the former head of state “explained the circumstances under which it happened and has not only acknowledged that Abiola actually won the election but that he was also unfairly robbed of his mandate when he and his military regime annulled it.”

He, however, stated that Babangida failed to disclose what those who wanted the election aborted could have done to him and others, including Abiola if he had refused to do their bidding. Fani-Kayode added: “IBB has told his side of the story and explained to us what transpired. He refused to remain silent; he did not shy away from speaking the truth or refuse to accept responsibility and he did not pass the buck.”