The family of the late General Sani Abacha has rejected claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, that Abacha was responsible for the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
In his recently released autobiography, *A Journey in Service*, Babangida expressed regret over the annulment, admitting that the Social Democratic Party’s candidate, MKO Abiola, had won the election.
He referred to the annulment as an “accident of history” and blamed military officers, led by Abacha, who was then his Chief of Defence Staff, for the decision, alleging it was done “without his permission.”
In a statement released on Sunday and signed by his son, Mohammed Abacha, the late dictator’s family dismissed Babangida’s claims. They asserted that Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time of the annulment.
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The family accused Babangida of attempting to distort historical facts and shift the blame.
“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 statement read.
“Any attempt to shift this blame onto General Sani Abacha, who was a very senior military officer within the regime, is a deliberate distortion of historical facts. For years, various actors have attempted to rewrite the history of that critical period in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.”
The Abacha family also urged Nigerians to be cautious of what they termed “revisionist narratives” intended to manipulate public perception for political gain
“We urge Nigerians to be wary of revisionist narratives that seek to manipulate public perception for personal or political reasons.
“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,” the statement continued.
In conclusion, the family slammed Babangida’s autobiography for failing to present an honest account of events, stating, “We regret that A Journey in Service missed the opportunity and failed to make history as a truthful and objective account of past events.
“As one public commentator aptly put it, honesty, sincerity, and integrity are virtues not commonly associated with the author.”
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