Presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has declared that former military president, retired General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), and erstwhile senate president, David Mark should be behind bars over the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential elections.
Sowore made the call in a post on his X page on Thursday after Babangida admitted that Abiola won the 1993 presidential election in his autobiography, “A Journey in Service,” launched on the same day at the Congress Hall of TransCorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
Sowore argued that this acknowledgment was sufficient grounds for the imprisonment of IBB, Obasanjo, Abubakar, and Mark.
The human rights activist and convener of #RevolutionNow called for the prosecution and imprisonment of the former Nigerian leaders over their roles in the annulment of the 1993 presidential election won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.
The publisher of Sahara Reporters, who was among the activists who challenged Babangida in 1993, noted that those responsible for truncating Nigeria’s democratic progress must be held accountable.
He insisted that the historic election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, was unjustly annulled under the military regime of General Babangida, an action that led to years of political instability and the eventual death of Abiola in detention.
Sowore said, “MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993 election. He satisfied all the requirements to be declared President of Nigeria, says evil man Babangida.
“This is the reason these guys, Babangida, Obasanjo, Abubakar Abdusalam, and David Mark must be in jail.”
The annulment of the election sparked widespread protests and a prolonged struggle for democracy, culminating in Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
While successive administrations have posthumously honoured Abiola — most notably with the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day, Sowore maintains that true justice can only be served if those responsible face legal consequences.
NEW DAILY PRIME earlier reported that Babangida, during the book launch admitted that the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
However, before the winner could be officially declared, the Babangida regime had annulled the election.
According to the former military president, who spoke through former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Abiola “satisfied all the requirements.”
Babangida also stated that Abiola, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the election secured the majority of votes and had the necessary geographical spread to become president.
The retired general admitted that annulling the election was the most challenging decision of his life.
