IBB’s confession that my father won June 12, 1993 presidential election ‘can now lay the matter to rest’ – Hafsat

Hafsat Abiola-Costello, daughter of late businessman and political icon, MKO Abiola, has reacted to former military ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s (Rtd.) confession that her father won the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Speaking in response to Babangida’s revelation at the launch of his memoir in Abuja on Wednesday, February 20, 2025, Hafsat welcomed the acknowledgment, stating that it puts an end to doubts about the election’s outcome.

“For those that kept expressing doubt that Nigerians had spoken so decisively on that day, I’m glad that General IBB’s admission that MKO won the election can now lay the matter to rest,” she said in a statement issued on Friday.

Hafsat emphasized that June 12 was not just about her father but symbolized the collective hope of Nigerians for a better future.

“When anyone mentions June 12, my mind always goes to MKO and Kudi. But June 12’s staying power was because the vote that Nigerians expressed that day was a vote for a better future and for unity. MKO may have been the symbol of the Hope ’93 campaign, but June 12 was about more than one man, it was about the promise of Nigeria that would deliver for Nigerians,” she stated.

Reflecting on the annulment of the election, she expressed sadness over the lost opportunity but paid tribute to her parents’ resilience.

“It’s sad that such a galvanizing statement as the breakthrough vote for MKO should have been truncated by an unjust annulment. But I will be forever grateful to both MKO and Kudi for not allowing their fears for their personal safety stand in the way of the people’s desire for a better Nigeria. May such commitment endure,” she concluded.