Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has urged President Bola Tinubu to pay the family of the late Moshood Abiola N45 billion as compensation for the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Lamido made the call during the public presentation of his autobiography, ‘Being True to Myself’, on Tuesday in Abuja.
“Before I end my remarks, I would like to appeal to the President, President BolaTinubu, to close the chapter of June 12,” Lamido said.
Babangida’s recent memoir, where the former military ruler revealed that Abiola won the election and was owed N45 billion.
Lamido argued that paying the compensation would symbolize justice and offer moral closure to one of Nigeria’s most painful democratic reversals.
Babangida’s memoir, ‘A Journey in Service,’ was released in February and reignited national debate about the events of 1993.
In the book, Babangida publicly acknowledged that Abiola won the annulled election, widely considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history.
According to Babangida, Abiola secured 8,128,720 votes against Bashir Tofa’s 5,848,247 votes.
The claims elicited mixed reactions nationwide. While President Tinubu and others have lauded Babangida for finally recognising Abiola’s victory.
Critics argue that the memoir attempted to deflect accountability. In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously awarded Abiola the title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Nigeria’s highest national honor.
The Buhari administration also declared June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, in recognition of Abiola’s contribution to the country’s democratic development.
