Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has claimed that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was orchestrated by forces within his administration, led by General Sani Abacha, without his knowledge or approval.
In his newly released memoir, A Journey in Service, Babangida recounted that he was attending a funeral in Katsina when he learned that the election had been annulled. He described the announcement as “poorly worded” and “shabbily executed,” stating that it lacked his official authorization.
“Yes, the possibility of annulment was loosely broached, but it was only one of several options. To suddenly have an announcement made without my authority was alarming. I remember saying: ‘These nefarious inside forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me!’” he wrote.
Babangida revealed that opposition to the election began with the Association for a Better Nigeria (ABN), led by Arthur Nzeribe, which obtained a controversial court injunction halting the polls. He denied supporting ABN’s actions, insisting that he had already decided to proceed with the elections despite resistance from some military officers.
He recalled a tense meeting of the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) on June 11, where his Chief of Defence Staff, General Abacha, and other top officers pushed for postponement. However, Babangida overruled them, instructing the National Electoral Commission (NEC) chairman, Professor Humphrey Nwosu, to proceed with the vote.
Despite this, Babangida said he was shocked when, on June 16, NEC suddenly suspended the announcement of results. Matters worsened when ABN secured another court order stopping the release of results, further fueling uncertainty.
The former president maintained that the final annulment, announced while he was away in Katsina, was orchestrated by Abacha and his allies. He admitted regret over the situation but ultimately took responsibility for the events that followed.
“I knew I was caught between ‘a devil and the deep blue sea.’ From then on, June 12 took on a painful twist for which, as I will show later, I regrettably take responsibility,” he wrote.