Former National Secretary of the now-defunct Social Democratic Party and ex-Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has said the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was not just political, but also financial.
According to him, the Federal Government at the time voided the election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola due to an outstanding N45 billion debt linked to contract work reportedly done for the government.
Lamido made this claim during the launch of his autobiography, Being True to Myself, at a well-attended event held in Abuja on Tuesday, May 13. He traced the origin of the debt to contracts awarded to Abiola’s company—International Telephone and Telecommunication—by the Ministry of Communications during the era of the late General Murtala Mohammed. After the general’s death, Lamido said, the military refused to honour the contract payments.
Lamido said, “When (General) Murtala (Muhammed) died, Abiola came in with a claim that he was owed, I think, about N45bn for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telecommunication for the Ministry of Communications. The military high command at that time said no. He went round the Emirs in the North to lobby and the Emirs asked that they (military) should please pay the money.
“They (military) said they cancelled the June 12 elections because if they made him President, he would take his money and the country would become bankrupt. Those who were close to Abacha should know this, because Abacha was then one of the big shots; they were all aware.
“Before I end my remarks, I want to appeal to President Tinubu to finally close the chapter of June 12.
“In his book, General Ibrahim Babangida acknowledged that Abiola won the election. When I visited him, he also confirmed that Abiola is owed N45bn. He was doubly punished: first, denied the presidency; second, denied what is owed to him.”
Lamido urged the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi—who attended the event on behalf of President Tinubu—to convey the message to the President.
“Please tell the President to pay the Abiola family the N45bn. Once this is done, the June 12 chapter will be closed. It is very important,” he stressed.
The event attracted a host of political heavyweights, past and present, including former Presidents, Vice Presidents, and state governors. Among the notable figures were former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and several former Senate Presidents and governors.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also addressed the gathering, urging Lamido and his generation not to retire from national service. “Our job is not finished until we are finished,” he said, urging continued efforts to improve Nigeria.
Obasanjo commended Lamido’s earlier service as Foreign Affairs Minister, saying he played a key role in reviving Nigeria’s global image after years of international isolation.
President Tinubu, through his representative, acknowledged Lamido’s literary effort as a valuable addition to Nigeria’s political records and described him as a firm voice of the opposition. He noted the government’s ongoing economic reforms and promised that positive results were beginning to show.
The chairman of the occasion, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was represented by ex-INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega. He encouraged more public officials to write about their experiences to help future generations understand the country’s political landscape better.
