The family of the late General Sani Abacha has punctured claims made by former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, on the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, a vote that political pundits believe was the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
In his recently unveiled autobiography, titled, ‘A Journey in Service’, Babangida had blamed the annulment on his then Chief of Defence Staff, General Sani Abacha.
Not a few Nigerians felt insulted by they believed was an obvious lie. The Family of Gen. Abacha felt scandalized by it too.
In a statement he issued on Sunday, Abacha’s first son, Mohammed, accused Babangida of engaging in a “deliberate distortion of historical facts.”
Mohammed, who wrote on behalf of the entire family, slammed Babangida for attempting to rewrite history, urging Nigerians to be wary of “revisionist narratives” that shift responsibility away from those truly accountable.
“Our attention has been drawn to recent claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in his newly launched book, ‘A Journey in Service’, where he alleged that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was the responsibility of the late General Sani Abacha,” Mohammed Abacha said in the statement.
“These claims have sparked widespread controversy and necessitate a clear response from the immediate family of General Sani Abacha and the entire Abacha clan in the interest of historical accuracy and justice.
“It is important to state unequivocally that General Sani Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time the June 12 election was annulled.
“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.
“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.”
The family said Abacha remained loyal to Babangida throughout his lifetime, even protecting him when his life was under threat.