LAGOS, Nigeria — A son of the late Chief Moshood Abiola has revealed that former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd.), has privately and publicly apologised to the family over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.
Lekan Abiola disclosed the development on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at the MKO Abiola Memorial Symposium held in Lagos, organised by the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), as part of activities marking the 32nd anniversary of the election.
“We returned from the United States of America, we have met IBB and he has apologised privately to us,” Lekan told journalists.
“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.”
He described the public apology as a source of relief for the family, ending long-standing disputes over the legitimacy of his father’s victory.
“It is as though someone punched you in public and said sorry in private. For him to come out publicly to admit that MKO did win the election, makes us feel at ease publicly,” he said.
Abiola’s son also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the Federal Government pays all outstanding entitlements owed to the late politician.
He noted that despite past administrations honouring his father, financial compensations remain unsettled.
Separately, Hameen Abiola, another of Chief Abiola’s sons, appealed for legislative action to permanently entrench June 12 as Democracy Day.
Speaking after a courtesy visit by Ogun State government officials to the family residence in Abeokuta, he called on the Federal Government and National Assembly to pass a bill ensuring the day’s continued observance.
“It is our passionate appeal that the Federal Government can permanently enact a bill that will forever make June 12 Democracy Day,” he said.
“So that future generations who may not understand the roles that our father played in returning the country to democratic rule do not abolish the day.”
Meanwhile, the forthcoming launch of a new biography, MKO Abiola: Symbol of Democracy, was announced by its author, Dr. Layo Adeniyi.
“There is nothing you want to know about Abiola you won’t find there,” he said, adding that the 440-page book covers Abiola’s early life, political evolution, and business accomplishments.
Across the country, the anniversary reignited calls for the restructuring of Nigeria as speakers at various commemorative events demanded deeper democratic reforms.
At the 25th edition of the OPC Commemoration of June 12 in Lagos, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, declared, “We must constantly remind ourselves that resistance is an endless and continuous battle. Nigeria is going through various crises today because some leaders are stubbornly against restructuring.”
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, represented by Dr. Wale Adeoye, condemned the current constitution as “flawed,” saying it hindered national development.
He advocated for a truly representative people’s constitution.
Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Women Arise, urged the government to recognise MKO Abiola as a past president and to display his image in official institutions.
She also reiterated her call for improved security and constitutional reform.
The pan-Yoruba group Afenifere, in a statement signed by its leader Oba Ladipo Olaitan, said Nigeria “has not and will not appropriately recover from the ghosts of June 12” without fundamental political restructuring.
“The political wing of the military and their collaborators killed Abiola and his pan-Nigerian mandate,” Afenifere said.
“We call on President Ahmed Tinubu and the political class to prioritise restructuring Nigeria into a true federation… It is possible to have a new constitution in this regard even before the 2027 general elections.”
The June 12 election, widely believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola, was annulled by the Babangida administration, plunging the nation into a political crisis. Abiola was subsequently detained and died in custody in 1998.
In 2018, the Buhari administration posthumously conferred on him the title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), typically reserved for presidents.
