Lekan Abiola, son of the late MKO Abiola, has revealed that former military leader Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) has officially apologized to the family for annulling the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigerian history.
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Lekan made the disclosure during the MKO Abiola Memorial Symposium held in Lagos under the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND). He said the public apology ends decades of speculation about whether Abiola truly won the election, which was controversially annulled by the Babangida regime.
According to Lekan, IBB had previously apologized in private when the family returned from the United States. But the recent public acknowledgment — where IBB admitted MKO won — has finally brought relief. “Before now, it felt like someone punched you in public but said sorry in private. But now, we can say it openly — MKO was the winner,” he said.
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He also used the platform to urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure all entitlements owed to his father are paid. He criticized past administrations for failing to honor their promises to the Abiola family.
Supporting the symposium was Dr. Layo Adeniyi, who unveiled a new biography titled “MKO Abiola: Symbol of Democracy.” The 440-page book documents Abiola’s legacy, his political journey from the NCNC to the NPN, and his ultimate role in shaping Nigeria’s democratic history.
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Dr. Adeniyi emphasized that the book also tackles Nigeria’s current insecurity and disunity. “There’s no election in Nigeria’s history as free and fair as June 12, and MKO’s story deserves to be told comprehensively,” he said.
The event marked yet another step toward national reconciliation and acknowledgement of a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
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