Former military head of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has officially acknowledged that the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola won the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Babangida’s revelation was contained in his autobiography, A Journey in Service, launched in Abuja on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
Through the book reviewer, former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Babangida admitted that Abiola, who contested under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), secured both the majority of votes and the required geographical spread to be declared president.
“There was no doubt in my mind; MKO Abiola won the election. He satisfied all the requirements,” Babangida stated in the book.
He described the annulment of the election as the most challenging decision of his life but expressed relief that former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously recognized Abiola’s victory and honored him with the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) title, which is reserved for Nigerian presidents.
