In a significant disclosure, Lekan Abiola, one of the sons of the late MKO Abiola, has confirmed that former Nigerian military president General Ibrahim Babangida privately apologised to the family for annulling the 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as free and fair.
The revelation came during the MKO Abiola Memorial Symposium held in Lagos on Thursday, which also marked preparations for the launch of a new book titled “MKO Abiola: Symbol of Democracy.” Lekan Abiola, addressing journalists on the sidelines, said the family had recently returned from the United States and met with Babangida, who expressed regret in a private meeting.
“We returned from the United States of America, we have met IBB and he has apologised privately to us. 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,” Lekan said.
He added that Babangida’s public apology was a breakthrough, as previously the family had no recourse to the private apology. “Before now, for the private apology, there was nothing we could do about that. It is as though someone punched you in public and said sorry in private,” he remarked.
Lekan also highlighted the importance of Babangida’s public admission in settling doubts about the election’s outcome. “For him to come out publicly to admit that MKO did win the election, makes us feel at ease publicly. This is because some people are always saying: ‘Are we even sure he won the election?’ But now, he (Babangida) has released the full results. Officially, it is now known that MKO won the election, and that is no longer a controversy.”
The late Abiola’s children have also urged President Bola Tinubu to enact a bill that would make June 12 Democracy Day a permanent, legally recognized national holiday.
