A former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of being among those who backed the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola.
Lamido made the claim during an appearance on Arise TV on Saturday, stating that Tinubu’s political narrative surrounding the struggle for democracy is inconsistent with historical realities.
“I feel highly entertained by Tinubu’s rhetoric, the way he’s dramatising his role in Nigeria’s democracy,” Lamido said.
He alleged that Tinubu’s mother, Hajia Abibatu Mogaji, played an active role in mobilizing support for then Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), organizing Lagos market women to travel to Abuja and express solidarity with the regime shortly after the controversial annulment.
Lamido further claimed that the much-celebrated National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), in which Tinubu played a prominent role, was not primarily formed to defend the June 12 mandate but to resist the regime of General Sani Abacha who later succeeded Babangida.
“Tinubu was part of those who supported IBB’s annulment of the June 12 election. His mother, Hajia Mogaji, brought market women to Abuja to pledge support for Babangida,” Lamido added.
“Tinubu only became prominent after Abacha took over. Before that, he was just a senator and party secretary. NADECO’s formation was more of a postulation against Abacha, not a fight for June 12,” he concluded.
Lamido’s comments come amid renewed debates on the true heroes and actors behind Nigeria’s democratic transition and the legacy of the June 12 struggle.
The June 12, 1993 election, adjudged by both local and international observers as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, was abruptly annulled by the Babangida regime, leading to years of political unrest.
