By Jabiru Hassan
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the recent admission by former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtd), regarding his role in the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. The group described his confession as an attempt to mislead Nigerians into believing that his actions were in their best interest.
In a statement, CDHR asserted that while the June 12 election had its flaws due to political manipulations before the polls—including the creation of government-controlled political parties and the banning and unbanning of candidates—it remained one of Nigeria’s most peaceful elections. Despite these irregularities, the results reflected the will of the people and should have been upheld.
CDHR noted that the annulment of the election, which was widely believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola, was a grave injustice that undermined democracy and threw Nigeria into political turmoil. The group described Babangida’s action as a coup d’état against the people’s mandate, leading to arbitrary arrests, political assassinations, suppression of press freedom, and economic hardship.
“The worst betrayal of the 14 million citizens who voted in that election was Babangida’s reckless and unconstitutional annulment on June 23, 1993, when the world expected the announcement of Chief MKO Abiola as the rightful winner,” the statement read.
CDHR is now calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order Babangida’s prosecution for crimes against humanity and for subverting the democratic will of Nigerians. They argue that Babangida’s own public confession and his writings in his book, A Journey in Service, provide enough evidence for legal action.
“The result of that election was already public knowledge before Babangida, in his usual ‘Maradonic’ maneuvering, stopped the official announcement. This act amounted to a coup against a democratically elected administration,” CDHR stated.
Furthermore, the group urged President Tinubu to take decisive steps in righting the historical injustice by officially recognizing MKO Abiola as a past Nigerian president with full posthumous privileges.
CDHR also demanded that all beneficiaries of the annulment be held accountable, including the late Chief Ernest Shonekan and members of his Interim National Government (ING), as well as the late General Sani Abacha and others who profited from the coup against democracy.
They proposed that national honors conferred on them be withdrawn, benefits to their families revoked, and assets acquired during their time in office confiscated.
Additionally, the organization called on the Nigerian judiciary, anti-corruption agencies, and international human rights bodies to take action in ensuring that justice is served.
“The culture of impunity must end. Justice for June 12 is justice for democracy. Nigeria must never allow such an egregious crime to go unpunished. The time for accountability is now,” the statement concluded.
