The Nigerian Presidency has rejected recent claims by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, that President Bola Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Speaking through Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the Presidency labelled Lamido’s comments as false and an attempt to rewrite history.
Lamido had alleged on a live TV programme that Tinubu only became known after the creation of the pro-democracy group NADECO and claimed that Tinubu’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, encouraged market women to support the annulment of the election won by MKO Abiola.
Onanuga dismissed these claims, saying that Alhaja Mogaji never supported the annulment and would have lost her position as a respected market leader in Lagos had she done so.
He added that although she knew then-President Babangida personally, it was before the political crisis began.
Onanuga went further, criticising Lamido’s own record as secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which produced Abiola.
He accused Lamido and other party leaders of failing to resist the military regime and even cooperating with their rivals to undermine Abiola’s victory.
In contrast, Tinubu is described as having strongly opposed the annulment. Onanuga stated a Senate debate on August 19, 1993, where Tinubu openly condemned the annulment as a coup and called for Nigerians to reject such injustice.
After General Abacha took power and dissolved all democratic structures in November 1993, Tinubu and other senators tried to resist but were arrested and detained.
Despite this, Tinubu continued to support pro-democracy protests financially and otherwise.
When Abiola was arrested in 1994, Tinubu fled the country and lived in exile for nearly five years.
During this period, he was active in supporting the NADECO movement and other pro-democracy efforts abroad.
His Lagos home was even bombed by agents of the military regime.
Onanuga pointed out that Tinubu played a key role in financing and sustaining the struggle to restore democracy.
The Presidency criticised Lamido for trying to distort the facts and suggested that his motives may stem from envy or political bitterness.
