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In a landmark moment for Nigeria\u2019s democratic history, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday commended former President General Ibrahim Babangida for openly acknowledging that the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election. Speaking at the launch of Babangida\u2019s autobiography, A Journey in Service<\/em>, and the fundraising for the IBB Presidential Library Project in Abuja, President Tinubu described the admission as an act of courage and patriotism.<\/p>\n For the first time in 32 years, Babangida publicly confirmed that the results of the historic election had declared Abiola the winner, marking a crucial step in setting the records straight. The annulment of the election remains a pivotal moment in Nigeria\u2019s political history, leading to a national crisis and the eventual transition from military to civilian rule.<\/p>\n President Tinubu praised Babangida\u2019s role in shaping Nigeria\u2019s political landscape, stating: Babangida, who served as Nigeria\u2019s leader from 1985 to 1993, admitted that annulling the election was the most difficult decision of his administration, adding that if given another chance, he would have handled it differently. He further acknowledged that his administration had acted in what it believed was the \u201csupreme national interest\u201d<\/em> at the time, but expressed relief that former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously recognized Abiola\u2019s victory and conferred on him Nigeria\u2019s highest honor, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).<\/p>\n During his remarks, President Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to making tough economic decisions to reposition the country. He urged Nigerians to refocus their energies on nation-building, warning that recent shifts in global migration laws serve as a reminder of the need to create opportunities at home.<\/p>\n “I am glad about what is happening in America and Europe\u2014the contradictions we see. It tells us to wake up and make Africa a better place, particularly Nigeria,”<\/em> Tinubu stated.<\/p>\n He also credited Babangida\u2019s economic reforms, particularly the deregulation of the banking sector, for shaping Nigeria\u2019s private sector. \u201cWithout you, people like me wouldn\u2019t be in politics. You encouraged young, brilliant minds to participate in governance. Today, many of us are here because of the visionary Babangida.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The event was a gathering of Nigeria\u2019s political and business elites, including former Presidents of Ghana and Sierra Leone. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo chaired the event, while Ghana\u2019s former President, Nana Akufo-Addo, delivered the keynote address. Also in attendance were former Heads of State General Yakubu Gowon and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former President Goodluck Jonathan, and former Vice President Namadi Sambo.<\/p>\n In his review of Babangida\u2019s book, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo highlighted the former leader\u2019s admission that Abiola met all constitutional requirements to be declared winner of the 1993 elections.<\/p>\n The event underscored the lasting impact of June 12 on Nigeria\u2019s democratic evolution, while Babangida\u2019s revelations added new dimensions to the historical narrative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a landmark moment for Nigeria\u2019s democratic history, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday commended former President General Ibrahim Babangida for openly acknowledging that the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election. Speaking at the launch of Babangida\u2019s autobiography, A Journey in Service, and the fundraising for the IBB Presidential Library […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
“I am glad about the revelation of June 12. My General, we will not forget to pray for you. I am here to pay homage and to thank you for your contributions to the history and development of this great country.”<\/em><\/p>\n
“Undoubtedly, credible, free, and fair elections were held on June 12, 1993. However, the tragic irony of history remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system could not complete the process. That accident of history is most regrettable, and I take full responsibility,”<\/em> he said.<\/p>\nTinubu Calls for National Renewal<\/h3>\n
Dignitaries in Attendance<\/h3>\n