LEKAN Abiola, son of Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, has revealed that former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, apologised to the Abiola family for annulling the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

He made this known on Thursday at the MKO Abiola Memorial Symposium in Lagos, during preparations for the launch of a book titled “MKO Abiola: Symbol of Democracy.”

Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the event, he disclosed that the apology, initially delivered in private, was later made public by the former head of state.

“We returned from the United States of America, we have met IBB and he has apologised privately to us. When he came out publicly to say that he was sorry for annulling the election and that MKO won the election, he did what he had done privately in public,” the younger Abiola said.

He further noted that the family found some measure of closure in the public apology, which he described as long overdue.

“Before now, for the private apology, there was nothing we could do about that. It is as though someone punched you in public and said sorry in private,” he added.

According to him, Babangida’s admission not only reaffirmed the legitimacy of MKO Abiola’s electoral victory but also helped to dispel lingering doubts surrounding the historic poll.

Babangida, a retired general, annulled the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, despite national and international recognition of Abiola as the rightful winner.

For the first time in over 30 years, Babangida publicly acknowledged that Abiola, widely known by his initials MKO, won the election.

He revealed this while launching his autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service’, in Abuja on Thursday, February 20, this year.

He wrote: “Although I am on record to have stated after the elections that Abiola may not have won, upon deeper reflection and a closer examination of all available facts, particularly the detailed election results published as an appendix to this book, there was no doubt that M.K.O. Abiola won the June 12 elections.”

Babangida further noted that Abiola secured the mandatory one-third of the votes cast in 28 states, including Abuja, thereby fulfilling the constitutional requirement for victory.

“Upon closer examination of the original collated figures from the 110 polling booths nationwide, it was clear that he satisfied the two main constitutional requirements for winning the presidential elections, namely majority votes and geographical spread,” he added.

For decades, Babangida has faced criticism for annulling the poll. His military government, which ruled from 1985 to 1993, never officially declared a winner before cancelling the process, citing national security concerns.

It is noteworthy to state that Babangida and Abiola were very close friends.

Annulling the poll outcomes triggered nationwide unrest, leading to the brutal military regime of the late Sani Abacha.

Abiola was later arrested in 1994 while trying to reclaim his mandate and died in detention in 1998 under unclear circumstances. His wife, Kudirat Abiola, was also assassinated in her struggle to reclaim her husband’s mandate.