The family of the late General Sani Abacha has issued a strong rebuttal to claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in his autobiography A Journey in Service. Babangida had suggested that General Abacha was responsible for the annulment of Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 presidential election. The family, through a statement issued by Abacha’s son, Mohammed Abacha, has vehemently denied these claims, calling them a distortion of historical facts.
The controversy stems from Babangida’s autobiography, in which he expressed regret over the annulment of the election. In the 12th chapter, he admitted that the Social Democratic Party’s candidate, MKO Abiola, was the rightful winner of the election. Babangida referred to the annulment as an “accident of history,” adding that it was the decision of military officers led by Abacha, his former Chief of Defence Staff, to annul the election “without his permission.” This assertion has now drawn a sharp response from the Abacha family.
In their statement, the family clarified that General Sani Abacha was not in charge of Nigeria at the time of the annulment, as he was not the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief. The statement further emphasized that the responsibility for the annulment lay squarely with General Babangida, who, as the then Head of State, had full executive powers and authority over the actions of his government.
The Abacha family accused Babangida of attempting to manipulate public perception by shifting the blame onto the late General. The statement continued, “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.” The family argues that any attempt to place blame on Abacha is a deliberate attempt to distort history.
According to the Abacha family, for years, several individuals have tried to rewrite the history surrounding the annulment of the June 12 election. They urged Nigerians to remain cautious of such revisionist narratives, warning that these attempts are often motivated by personal or political interests. “We urge Nigerians to be wary of revisionist narratives that seek to manipulate public perception for personal or political reasons,” the statement read.
The Abacha family further lamented that Babangida’s book failed to provide an honest and objective account of Nigeria’s political history. “We regret that A Journey in Service missed the opportunity and failed to make history as a truthful and objective account of past events,” they said. They pointed out that, despite the autobiography’s supposed purpose of reflecting on the author’s service, it fell short of portraying events accurately and impartially.
In closing, the Abacha family expressed their disappointment at Babangida’s attempt to deflect responsibility. They emphasized that the memory of their late father, General Sani Abacha, should not be tarnished by unfounded accusations. “Honesty, sincerity, and integrity are virtues not commonly associated with the author,” the statement concluded. This response has reignited debate over the legacy of the June 12 election annulment and the roles played by key military figures in Nigeria’s political history.
