STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
The Presidency Sets the Record Straight on President Tinubu’s Role in the June 12 Struggle
The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to recent comments made by Alhaji Sule Lamido, former Governor of Jigawa State, during a live television appearance in which he falsely accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of supporting the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Alhaji Lamido’s claims distort history and represent a regrettable attempt at revisionism. He alleged that President Tinubu only gained national recognition after the formation of NADECO and further claimed that Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised market women to support the annulment. These assertions are completely false.
To clarify the record, Alhaja Mogaji never rallied market women in support of the annulment. Had she done so, she would have lost her respected position as market leader in Lagos. While she once had a personal relationship with then President Ibrahim Babangida, this was long before the annulment crisis.
It is also worth reminding Nigerians that Alhaji Lamido, who served as the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the very party whose candidate, MKO Abiola, won the June 12 election, was among those who failed to oppose the military’s blatant injustice. The SDP leadership, including Lamido and then chairman Tony Anenih, infamously surrendered the people’s mandate without resistance. In fact, Lamido and Anenih joined forces with the defeated National Republican Convention to deny Abiola his rightful mandate.
In contrast, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu took a principled stand even before General Sani Abacha dissolved all democratic institutions on November 17, 1993. On August 19, 1993, during a Senate session following Babangida’s announcement of his resignation and the setup of an interim government, Tinubu courageously condemned the annulment on the Senate floor. He described it as a coup d’état and called on Nigerians to resist injustice.
Senator Tinubu stated:
“We have a situation that suggests that the abortion of the June 12 election is another coup d’état. My question is, when are we going to stop tolerating injustices, coup d’état and abuse by the people on whom we invested so much resources, the public funds of this country? Yes, it is true that we have a crisis, but for every action, there must be a reaction. This is a self-inflicted crisis because without the abortion or annulment of the June 12 election, there would be no crisis like this. We have a government that made the law and abused its law. Therefore, the present military administration, by virtue of abrogation and violation of its own decree, has committed a crime.”
When Abiola returned to Nigeria in September 1993, Tinubu remained close to him, even as General Abacha plotted to seize power. After Abacha overthrew the interim government on November 17, Tinubu, alongside fellow senators such as Ameh Ebute and Abu Ibrahim, reconvened in Lagos to challenge the military regime. They were arrested and detained at Alagbon, and a case was fabricated against them. Even in detention, Tinubu continued to fund pro-democracy protests, including the historic blockade of the Third Mainland Bridge.
Realizing that Abacha would not honor Abiola’s mandate, Tinubu and others helped launch the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) on May 15, 1994. On June 12, 1994, the first anniversary of the election, Abiola declared himself Nigeria’s president at Epetedo. Ten days later, he was arrested, and many pro-democracy figures, including Tinubu, fled the country. Tinubu lived in exile for nearly five years. During this period, agents of the junta bombed his Lagos residence at Balarabe Musa Crescent, Victoria Island.
Alhaji Lamido himself admitted that Tinubu played a major role in NADECO. Indeed, Tinubu did even more, offering financial and logistical support to Professor Wole Soyinka’s NALICON and sustaining journalists and activists both at home and in exile.
It is unfortunate that despite acknowledging Tinubu’s contributions, Lamido is now attempting to rewrite history. His narrative is not only misleading but also indicative of envy and political bitterness.
We urge Alhaji Lamido to cross-check his facts before going on national television to spread misinformation. Such revisionism does a disservice to the truth and our democratic heritage.
President Bola Tinubu has always been a staunch defender of democracy. Unlike Lamido and others who chose compromise, he stood firm for justice even at great personal cost. The record is clear.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
Information and Strategy
June 22, 2023
