Hafsat Abiola-Costello, daughter of the late MKO Abiola and Kudirat Abiola, responded to the former military leader’s acknowledgment that Abiola won the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Hafsat welcomed Babangida’s admission in her reaction to his statement.
She stated, “For those that kept expressing doubt that Nigerians had spoken so decisively on that day, I’m glad that General IBB’s admission that MKO won the election can now lay the matter to rest.”
In a statement on Friday, she reflected on the significance of June 12, saying the date always brings her thoughts back to her parents, MKO and Kudirat Abiola.
However, she stressed that June 12 goes beyond personal memories, symbolizing Nigerians’ collective aspiration for a stronger and more united nation.
She explained, “MKO may have been the symbol of the Hope ’93 campaign, but June 12 was about more than one man, it was about the promise of Nigeria that would deliver for Nigerians.”
She expressed her disappointment over the annulment, calling it an unjust decision that disrupted a historic moment.
She added, “It’s sad that such a galvanising statement as the breakthrough vote for MKO should have been truncated by an unjust annulment.”
Nonetheless, Hafsat expressed deep gratitude for her parents’ courage, saying, “But I will be forever grateful to both MKO and Kudi for not allowing their fears for their personal safety stand in the way of the people’s desire for a better Nigeria. May such commitment endure.”
