Tinubu commends Babangida for admitting Abiola won 1993 June 12 election
Kunle Sanni
President Bola Tinubu has praised former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, for publicly acknowledging, for the first time in 32 years, that the late M.K.O. Abiola won the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Speaking on Thursday at the launch of Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service, and the fundraising event for the IBB Presidential Library Project at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu described the admission as an act of “unusual courage and patriotism” that sets the record straight in Nigeria’s democratic history.
The annulment of the 1993 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, triggered a political crisis that hastened Babangida’s exit from power.
Tinubu emphasized that Babangida’s admission helps confront the truth of a pivotal moment in the country’s democratic journey.
“I am glad about the revelation of June 12. My General, we will not forget to pray for you. Thank you for everything—for who you are, what you are, and how you have contributed to the history of this great country,” Tinubu said.
The president also reflected on his own political journey, acknowledging Babangida’s role in fostering private sector growth and encouraging the participation of young, visionary Nigerians in politics. “Without you, people like me would not be in politics,” Tinubu remarked.
