Abacha Family Refutes Babangida’s Claims on June 12 Poll Annulment

The family of the late General Sani Abacha, former Head of State of Nigeria, has strongly refuted claims made by General Ibrahim Babangida, the former military Head of State, regarding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

According to the Abacha family, General Sani Abacha was not the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time the election was annulled. The family emphasized that the responsibility for the annulment lay solely with General Ibrahim Babangida, who was in power and held full executive authority at the time.

In his recently launched autobiography, A Journey In Service, Babangida suggested that General Abacha was responsible for the annulment of the June 12 election. However, Mohammed Abacha, son of the late General Sani Abacha, dismissed these claims as a deliberate distortion of history.

Mohammed Abacha stated that any effort to shift the blame onto his father, who was a senior officer in the regime at the time, was misleading and inaccurate. He expressed the family’s disappointment with the attempt to tarnish the memory of General Sani Abacha with false accusations.

“Our attention has been drawn to recent claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in his newly launched book, A Journey in Service, where he alleged that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was the responsibility of the late General Sani Abacha,” Mohammed Abacha said. “These claims have sparked widespread controversy and require a clear response from the immediate family of General Sani Abacha in the interest of historical accuracy.”

He continued, “It is important to state unequivocally that General Sani Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time the June 12 election was annulled. The decision to annul the election was made under the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, who, as the then Head of State, held absolute executive powers and was solely responsible for the actions of his government.”

Mohammed Abacha further condemned any attempt to distort history, warning Nigerians to be cautious of revisionist narratives aimed at manipulating public opinion for personal or political gain.

“The memory of our late father and leader, General Sani Abacha, must not be tarnished by baseless accusations meant to absolve those who were truly responsible,” he said.

The Abacha family also took the opportunity to acknowledge the loyalty and support General Sani Abacha showed towards General Babangida. “Despite this unfortunate attempt to shift blame, General Sani Abacha remained a true and loyal friend to General Ibrahim Babangida up to the time of his death. He was a man of unwavering commitment to his comrades. We also find it necessary to state that at the time General Babangida’s life was under threat, it was General Abacha who came to his rescue, ensuring his safety.”

The family expressed their gratitude to Nigerians who have defended General Sani Abacha’s legacy, insisting that historical facts should be preserved accurately. “We acknowledge the outpouring of support from those who refuse to allow history to be distorted.”

Reflecting on Nigeria’s history, Mohammed Abacha concluded, “We believe that history is best judged with fairness and objectivity.”