Former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has openly criticized some prominent Nigerian political figures, insisting that Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and David Mark deserve to be imprisoned over their roles in Nigeria’s political history, particularly concerning the annulment of the 1993 presidential election.
According to reports, former military head of state IBB made a shocking revelation during the launch of his autobiography, A Journey of Service, on Thursday, where he admitted for the first time that late businessman and politician, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO Abiola), was the rightful winner of the 1993 presidential election. This statement reignited debates about the historic annulment that changed Nigeria’s political landscape forever.
Reacting to the revelation on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter), Omoyele Sowore strongly condemned Babangida and other key figures who played roles during and after the annulment. He argued that Babangida’s acknowledgment of Abiola’s victory was proof that those involved in the decision to annul the election should be held accountable and imprisoned.
“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 Salam, and David Mark—must be in jail,” he wrote in his post.
Sowore, a well-known activist and advocate for democracy, has consistently called for justice regarding the annulled election. He has repeatedly accused Nigerian military and political elites of manipulating the country’s governance to serve their interests while denying Nigerians their democratic rights.
Earlier on Thursday, the AAC national leader had also predicted that Babangida would attempt to shift blame for the annulment onto the late former Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha. According to Sowore, Babangida was trying to rewrite history by making Abacha the scapegoat for the decision to cancel the election results, despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
“Today (Thursday), former Nigerian dictator Ibrahim Babangida will launch his book, which is expected to falsely blame late General Sani Abacha, another wicked dictator, for the annulment of June 12 elections. By doing so, he will be admitting that the elections were free and fair.
“Babangida’s narrative will be totally false, as his life and times have always been!” Sowore wrote in another post on 𝕏.
It is worth recalling that IBB, in his book, claimed that the annulment of the election was not his decision but rather a move orchestrated by Abacha. This claim has sparked controversy, as many Nigerians believe that Babangida, as the head of state at the time, had the final authority over the decision.
The annulment of the June 12 election remains one of the most contentious events in Nigeria’s political history. The election, widely considered the most free and fair in the country’s history, saw MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) defeat Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). However, Babangida’s military government annulled the results, citing “national security concerns,” which led to widespread protests and political unrest.
Abiola was later arrested in 1994 under General Abacha’s regime after declaring himself Nigeria’s rightful president. He remained in detention for four years and tragically died under mysterious circumstances on July 7, 1998, the day he was scheduled to be released.
Many Nigerians and political analysts believe that justice has never been served for Abiola and that those responsible for the election’s annulment have never been held accountable. Sowore’s statement is the latest in ongoing calls for historical justice concerning one of Nigeria’s most controversial political episodes.