Victor Ezeja
The family of late Nigeria’s military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has said he wasn’t responsible for the annulment of the June 12 1993 presidential election in which MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the widely acclaimed winner.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe family stated this while reacting to some of the issues raised in a memoir written by former military president, General Ibrahim Bamasi Babangida, that was launched recently.
Babangida’s memoir titled “A Journey in Service”, launched on 20 February 2025, has generated widespread reactions over issues raised in the book as the ex-military leader narrates his life experiences.
In a statement, Abacha’s family said their attention has been drawn to claims made by Babangida in his book that General Abacha was responsible for the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. It said that given the widespread controversy the claims have sparked, the family deemed it necessary to respond and set the record straight in the interest of historical accuracy and justice.
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The family said General Abacha, who was a senior military officer at the time had no power to make the decision of canceling the election as he was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief.
“The decision to annul the election was made under the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, who, as the then Head of State, held absolute executive powers and was solely responsible for the actions of his government,” the Abacha’s family stated.
It said any attempt to shift this blame onto Abacha, “is a deliberate distortion of historical facts.” It accused Babangida of making attempts to shift the blame of the June 12 Election Annulment crisis unto Abacha, whom he described as a close friend for decades.
The family further stated that over the years, various actors have attempted to rewrite the history of that critical period in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, but facts remain unchanged and urged Nigerians to be wary of “revisionist narratives that seek to manipulate public perception for personal or political reasons.”
“The memory of our late father and leader, General Sani Abacha, must not be tarnished by baseless accusations meant to absolve those who were truly responsible,” the statement added.
The family further stated that Abacha was a man of unwavering commitment to his comrades, adding that he remained a true and loyal friend to General Babangida up to the time of his death in 1998.
The family claimed that when Babangida’s life was under threat, it was General Abacha who came to his rescue, ensuring his safety.
It said the book was written in bad faith, accusing Babangida of harbouring ill feeling for Abacha over the years.
“It is clear that these bad feelings have weighed on him for years. We can only hope that after keeping them bottled up for so long, he has now found peace within himself.”
The Abacha family expressed gratitude to all Nigerians who have risen in defence of the late military leader in an effort to set the record straight and called on well-meaning citizens and historians “to remain committed to the truth and reject any attempt to misrepresent the past for personal gain.”
“While we recognize that history will continue to be debated, we believe that honesty and integrity must guide such discussions.”
It emphasised that history is best judged with fairness and objectivity and concluded that Babangida’s book did not give a truthful and objective account of past events in Nigeria’s political history.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
