JAMIU Abiola, son of the late Moshood Abiola, has dismissed calls for the prosecution of former military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, for annulling the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which Abiola won, and his complicity in the businessman’s subsequent death.
He argued that a probe at this stage would be unnecessary, as many of the key figures involved in the annulment are no longer alive.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Jamiu stated that revisiting issues regarding the election and his father’s mysterious death in detention while demanding to be declared president-elect would serve no purpose.
“There is no need for prosecution or probe. So many years have passed and most of the good and bad actors in the June 12 tragedy have passed away,” Jamiu said.
According to him, the most appropriate time for a probe would have been during Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term (2003-2007), when he said Nigeria’s democracy was more stable, and many of those involved in the election results cancellation were still alive to give firsthand testimonies.
Jamiu’s remarks came in the wake of IBB’s public admission, for the first time that Abiola won the election.
The former military ruler, who had for decades been evasive about the details of the annulment, made the revelation in his newly launched autobiography, A Journey in Service.
In the book, reviewed by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Babangida acknowledged that Abiola met all constitutional requirements to be declared winner.
He detailed how the late politician had won a nationwide mandate, securing the required one-third of votes across at least 28 states, including Abuja.
The ICIR reports that Babangida’s revelation aligned with what many Nigerians had long believed – that the June 12, 1993 presidential poll was Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
For decades, Babangida has faced criticisms 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.
However, in his book, he admitted that Abiola had fulfilled all legal requirements to assume office.
“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 said.
Despite Babangida’s admission, Jamiu Abiola insisted that seeking justice through prosecution was no longer a priority.
Instead, he argued that the best way to honour his father’s legacy is for Nigerians to embrace the spirit of national unity that defined the June 12 election.
“The best way to compensate our family is for the Abiola family to see all Nigerians adopting the attitude they adopted on the day of June 12, 1993, which in a nutshell is to reject tribalism and religious differences when electing leaders and to see themselves as members of the same family regardless of their states of origin,” he explained.
Jamiu urged Nigerians to focus on building a united nation, rather than being consumed by the bitterness of the past.
“By so doing, they will be heeding the call of President Bola Tinubu to shun ethnicity and transforming Nigeria from a country to a nation.
“I will not ask for more than that because to do so would bring down the high standing of Moshood and Kudirat Abiola following their unique sacrifice. They gave up their lives and will be rewarded with more than 500 million years in a place better than any castle in this world,” he added.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M
June 12 is beyond Abiola and his family, but, all Nigerians across the world and many non- Nigerians.
To me, deterrent is necessary against such foolishness in the future.