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Kingibe accuses Obasanjo over annulment of June 12 election

David Adenekan
David Adenekan
Kingibe accuses Obasanjo over annulment of June 12 election
Kingibe

Babagana Kingibe, running mate to Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, acclaimed winner of Nigeria’s June 12, 1993 presidential election has accused former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of having knowing about the annulment of the election.

He however did not give details of the roles Obasanjo played, but stated that he tried to convene a meeting of elder statesmen on the developments that followed the annulment.

Kingibe who was a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, spoke while appearing on a Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, programme.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari who attended the first meeting called by Obasanjo did not attend subsequent ones.

Kingibe who was also asked a question on his alleged betrayal of Abiola in the struggle that followed the annulment said the occasion of the celebration of June 12 as Democracy Day should not be one for fault-finding.

His words: “In the aftermath of the annulment, one of the architects of the annulment, former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to get some elder statesmen (former presidents and so on); I think at the African Leadership Forum to see how the aftermath of the annulment could be addressed or to see how the problems arising from the annulment could be addressed.

“And I think President Muhammadu Buhari did attend the meeting once, the inaugural meeting. I understood that when he (Buhari) saw the direction of the meeting, he decided not to attend again.

“Every time the issue of the annulment came up over the years, his position was very clear; it was very firm that the election was free, fair and there was a clear winner. And that the annulment was unjustified.

“So, having had the opportunity, perhaps, to right the wrong, I won’t be surprised he did so because it is in his character to try and do justice, however, belated and under whatever the circumstances.”

Kingibe said he was not totally shocked by the decision of the president to make June 12 Democracy Day, stressing that it was obvious that Buhari was not happy over the annulment of the election.

He also spoke on his efforts to ensure that the annulment of the election did not stand.

“Suffice it to say that there are many ways of pursuing a goal. To me, the immediate goal was to make sure that the annulment did not stand. That I had a very strong opinion about. Don’t forget, from the annulment and the enthronement of Interim National Government (ING), there were 82 to 84 days or so.

“During those days, we all worked together to make sure the ING did not stand. And it did not stand. Thereafter, we all had our reflections collectively and individually as to the way forward, and we moved on,” he said.

In his tribute to Abiola, he described the acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 election as the symbol of the struggle for democracy.

“Like all collective endeavours, there is always a leader, and one can never diminish the role of MKO Abiola in the final stages of this political journey to democracy in giving the leadership; in being the arrowhead and the symbol of that struggle for democracy.”

He also spoke about the uniqueness of the June 12 election.

“I think we are now going to celebrate the first of the June 12 being a Democracy Day. It is an opportunity to recall all the positive takeaways of the June 12 experience, what it represented and how we can learn lessons for the future.

“I don’t think it as an occasion for recriminations, who betrayed who, abandoned what. The whole process leading to June 12 was a unique experience in Nigerian political journey towards democracy.

“The facts of June 12, the elections that took place on that day, were unique. We have held many elections but the elections of June 12 were unique.

“The annulment of the elections was unique in the life of all Nigerians and being unique and novel, I think everybody reacted accordingly to their understanding of what reaction was required.

“I do not think that we have the time to go through who played what role, who did what on this occasion. All I said, let us celebrate the event of June 12.”

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