The Nigerian Presidency has strongly denied claims by Alhaji Sule Lamido that President Bola Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election won by Chief MKO Abiola. The Presidency made this known in a statement published by Daily Champion.
The Presidency described Lamido’s claims as false and accused him of distorting historical facts. Lamido alleged that Tinubu’s political rise began after NADECO was formed and falsely claimed Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised market women to support the annulment.
“The truth is that Alhaja Mogaji never supported the annulment,” the Presidency stated. “Had she done so, she would have lost her leadership position among Lagos market women.”
The Presidency also reminded Nigerians that Lamido, as secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), failed to resist the annulment. The statement said Lamido and then-party chairman, Tony Anenih, abandoned MKO Abiola’s mandate and instead aligned with the National Republican Convention.
President Tinubu, on the other hand, firmly rejected the annulment during a Senate debate on August 19, 1993. “We have a situation that suggests that the abortion of the June 12 election is another coup d’etat,” Tinubu said at the time.
After General Sani Abacha dissolved all democratic institutions, Tinubu and other senators regrouped in Lagos, where they were arrested and detained. Despite the risks, Tinubu continued to fund pro-June 12 protests across Lagos.
Tinubu later joined NADECO, which demanded Abacha step down for Abiola. “Tinubu gave us both financial support and solidarity,” said pro-democracy leaders who worked with him.
The Presidency emphasized that Lamido should verify his claims instead of spreading misinformation on national television.
Article updated 3 hours ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
