The controversy over the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election has reignited as Sadiq Abacha, son of late military ruler Sani Abacha, hit back at former military president Ibrahim Babangida over claims in his newly released autobiography.
Babangida, in his book A Journey in Service, launched in Abuja on Thursday, suggested that Abacha led the forces that ultimately scuttled Nigeria’s most historic election.
According to him, the announcement of the annulment was made by his deputy’s press secretary without his knowledge or permission, and he later found that the cancellation was masterminded by his then Chief of Defence Staff, Abacha, who eventually became head of state.
Reacting to the claims, Sadiq, in a strongly worded Facebook post on Saturday, dismissed Babangida’s account as a distortion of history, insisting that those who tarnish his father’s legacy do so out of envy.
“The man Abacha, you have always been the man they have envied with silent deceit. History shall remember you for being a better leader no matter how much they try to put you down.
As a son, I’m most proud of you today. You indeed are the man they wish they were half of,” he wrote.
The younger Abacha further threw what appeared to be a veiled jab at Babangida, concluding with a Hausa proverb, “Duk wanda yayi jifa a kasuwa…,” which translates to “Whoever throws insults in a public market knows who they are meant for.”
The comments have further fueled the never-ending debate over the real masterminds of the annulment, a historical moment that plunged Nigeria into political turmoil and cost MKO Abiola his presidency—and ultimately, his life.
With Sadiq Abacha’s reaction, the legacy of his father remains a deeply divisive subject in Nigeria’s political history, as former military leaders continue to trade blame over the nation’s darkest political controversies
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