IBB TO NIGERIANS: JUNE 12 ANNULLMENT FOR YOUR GOOD

General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, and Chief Moshood Abiola.

Nearly 30 years after the military administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, who was the Military President, annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election, he has opened up on the real reason behind the action.

Speaking in a television interview with Arise TV, earlier Friday, he disclosed, among others, that the election, which has been considered the freest and fairest I the history of elections in Nigeria, said it was done for the sake of national stability.

According to the “evil genius” or “Maradona”, as he’s widely called, if he had not annulled the election, there was a possibility of a violent coup d’etat taking place as a consequence. 

Hear him: “If it [the election] materialised, there would have been a coup d’etat, which could have been violent. That’s all I can confirm to you. It didn’t happen, thanks to the engineering and the ‘maradonic’ way we handled you guys in the society. But that could have given room for more instability in the country.”

READ ALSO: GIVE ME CREDIT FOR JUNE 12 SUCCESS, NOT BUHARI, BABANGIDA WAILS

Babangida added alluded to the fact that there was serious pressure on his government at the time both within and outside the military to annul the election for that reason.

Continuing, he explained that the military under his leadership at the time could have carried out the threats of a coup d’etat, since they have the weapons to do undertake it.

On the activities of the civil society groups, which led national protests against the military’s action, he said they were able to handle them.  

Recall the June !2 presidential election was contested between Chief Moshood Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), the presumed winner of the contest, who later died in detention while working with the civil society groups to ensure the election was disannulled, and Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC).

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