Former Jigawa State Governor and ex-National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sule Lamido, has called on President Bola Tinubu to settle an outstanding N45 billion debt allegedly owed to the family of the late Chief MKO Abiola, winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Speaking during the launch of his autobiography titled “Being True to Myself” in Abuja on Tuesday, Lamido said that settling the debt would serve as a symbolic gesture of justice and bring moral closure to the historic June 12 episode.
Lamido recounted that the debt stemmed from contracts executed by Abiola’s company, International Telephone and Telecommunication (ITT), for the Ministry of Communications during the military era.
“When General Murtala Muhammed died, Abiola demanded payment of about N45 billion for ITT contracts. The military refused, claiming paying the sum would bankrupt the country if Abiola ever became president,” he explained.
He added that despite lobbying northern emirs to intervene on his behalf, Abiola’s claims were never honoured. “The military canceled the June 12 election partly out of fear that if Abiola became president, he would recover the money,” Lamido alleged.
He appealed directly to President Tinubu through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi, who was present at the event.
“Tell the president to pay the Abiola family the N45 billion. That will finally close the June 12 chapter. It’s long overdue,” Lamido stressed.
He also noted that even former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida—who annulled the 1993 election—has since acknowledged Abiola’s victory and confirmed the legitimacy of the debt.
“Abiola was punished twice: first, by being denied the presidency; second, by being denied what was rightfully his,” Lamido concluded.
