Former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of supporting the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
Lamido, speaking on Sunday during an interview, claimed that Tinubu and his family were politically aligned with General Ibrahim Babangida at the time the election was nullified.
Lamido said President Tinubu often overstates his contribution to Nigeria’s democracy and portrays himself as a central figure in the June 12 struggle. According to him, Tinubu only rose to prominence after General Sani Abacha took control of government.
“I feel highly entertained by Tinubu’s rhetoric and how he’s dramatising his role in Nigeria’s democracy,” Lamido said. “Tinubu became relevant and noticeable after Abacha took over the government; before then, he was in the Senate while serving as party secretary.”
He added that Tinubu actively worked with those who supported the annulment. “He was one of those who supported IBB’s annulment of the June 12 election,” he alleged. Lamido claimed Tinubu’s mother, Hajia Abibatu Mogaji, organised market women from Lagos to publicly back Babangida in Abuja.
“His mother was organising Lagos market women to come to Abuja to pledge support for Babangida. Tinubu was hand-in-glove with Babangida,” Lamido stated. He further argued that the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), often associated with the June 12 struggle, was not initially formed to defend Abiola’s mandate.
“NADECO was postulated to fight Abacha, not for June 12,” Lamido insisted, refuting popular beliefs that the group was born purely out of resistance to the annulment.
Call to Pay MKO Abiola ₦45 Billion for Unpaid Federal Contracts
In a related matter, Lamido urged the Tinubu-led administration to pay ₦45 billion allegedly owed to Abiola for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), a company linked to him. He argued that settling the debt would symbolically end the injustice of the June 12 saga.
“When General Murtala Mohammed died, Abiola came in with a claim that he was owed ₦45 billion for contracts executed for the Ministry of Communications,” Lamido said. “The military refused to pay, but he went through emirs in the North who then lobbied on his behalf.”
Lamido said Abiola was “doubly punished”—first by being denied the presidency, and then by being denied payment for work done. “They said if they made him president, he would collect his money and bankrupt the country,” Lamido added.
Lamido Warns Against Revenge Coalitions, Calls for Issue-Based Opposition
In his broader political remarks, Lamido advised opposition forces seeking to challenge the APC to base their coalition on national issues and values. He warned against the formation of alliances solely to unseat the ruling party for personal or vengeful reasons, as seen in the 2014 APC merger.
“I want to appeal to President Tinubu to finally close the chapter on June 12,” Lamido said. “In his book, General Babangida admitted Abiola won. When I visited him, he also confirmed that Abiola is owed ₦45 billion.”
Lamido’s comments have added an interesting mix to the long-standing debates about who truly stood for June 12, especially from the South West during one of the nation’s turbulent political moments, and whether today’s political leaders are sincere in honouring that history.
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