The Presidency has firmly rejected claims made by former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, accusing President Bola Tinubu of supporting the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, calling the allegations “false” and “revisionist.”
In a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight: President Tinubu’s Role in the June 12 Struggle”, issued on Sunday by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Lamido’s comments on a live Arise Television interview misrepresented historical facts and attempted to distort Tinubu’s contributions to Nigeria’s democracy.
Lamido had alleged that Tinubu, then a senator under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), was a supporter of former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida, who annulled the historic election won by MKO Abiola. He also claimed Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised support for the annulment.
The Presidency rejected these claims, clarifying that Alhaja Mogaji never backed the annulment and would have lost her position as Lagos market leader had she done so. It also turned the spotlight on Lamido’s own role during the crisis, accusing him and then SDP Chairman Tony Anenih of surrendering to military pressure rather than resisting the annulment.
The statement highlighted that Tinubu condemned the annulment on the Senate floor on August 19, 1993, describing it as a coup against democracy. It quoted Tinubu’s remarks, in which he challenged the military’s abuse of power and called on Nigerians to reject injustice.
According to the Presidency, Tinubu not only opposed the annulment but also stood beside Abiola during his return from abroad and engaged in civil disobedience following General Sani Abacha’s November 1993 coup. Tinubu, along with other senators, was arrested and detained for reconvening in defiance of Abacha’s dissolution of democratic institutions.
It further recalled Tinubu’s exile following Abiola’s arrest, noting that his home was bombed by state agents while he funded protests and supported pro-democracy efforts, including Professor Wole Soyinka’s NALICON and the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which was formed in May 1994 to demand Abiola’s mandate.
Onanuga argued that while Lamido admitted Tinubu’s role in NADECO, he tried to downplay it and rewrite history. “It is thus disappointing that Alhaji Lamido, despite acknowledging Tinubu’s NADECO role, would attempt to rewrite history for political reasons,” the statement read.
The Presidency concluded by accusing Lamido of envy and belonging to a “Coalition of the Disgruntled,” reaffirming that Tinubu’s democratic credentials remain well-documented and unmatched by those who failed to oppose military injustice during the June 12 crisis.
ADEOLA KUNLE
