Hafsat Abiola-Costello, daughter of the late Chief MKO Abiola, has stated that former military ruler Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s recent acknowledgment of her father’s victory in the June 12, 1993, presidential election does not erase the pain and injustice suffered by her family and Nigerians.
Babangida, for the first time, publicly expressed regret over the annulment of the election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll. Speaking at the launch of his autobiography, A Journey in Service, in Abuja on Thursday, the 83-year-old former leader admitted that the decision disrupted Nigeria’s democratic transition and caused nationwide turmoil.
The election, held on June 12, 1993, was meant to end a decade of military rule.
However, the Babangida government annulled the results, triggering nationwide protests and political instability.
The widely acclaimed winner, Chief MKO Abiola, was later imprisoned, and his wife, Kudirat Abiola, was assassinated during the struggle for democracy.
However, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, in a statement on Friday, noted that whenever June 12 is mentioned, she thinks of her parents, MKO and Kudirat Abiola, who both played key roles in the struggle for democracy.
She emphasized that the significance of the date goes beyond her family, as it represents the collective hope of Nigerians for a better and more united country.
The statement reads, “When anyone mentions June 12, my mind always goes to MKO and Kudi. But June 12’s staying power was because the vote that Nigerians expressed that day was a vote for a better future and for unity.“MKO may have been the symbol of the Hope ‘93 campaign but June 12 was about more than one man, it was about the promise of Nigeria that would deliver for Nigerians.
“For those that kept expressing doubt that Nigerians had spoken so decisively on that day, I’m glad that General IBB’s admission that MKO won the election can now lay the matter to rest.
“It’s sad that such a galvanising statement as the breakthrough vote for MKO should have been truncated by an unjust annulment. But I will be forever grateful to both MKO and Kudi for not allowing their fears for their personal safety to stand in the way of the people’s desire for a better Nigeria. May such commitment endure.”
