‘He’s repentant’ — Ozekhome asks Nigerians to forgive Babangida over June 12 election annulment

Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has called on Nigerians to forgive former military ruler Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) for annulling the 1993 presidential election.

Speaking on Friday, Ozekhome said Babangida’s public admission of regret over the annulment was a significant step towards national healing.

During the launch of his autobiography on Thursday, Babangida acknowledged for the first time that Moshood Abiola had won the June 12, 1993 election.

He described the annulment as an “accident of history”, and expressed deep regret over the decision, which triggered widespread protests and political turmoil.

“I accept full responsibility for the decisions taken under my watch,” Babangida said.

Ozekhome, who said he was also affected by the crisis that followed the annulment, noted that it took courage and humility for Babangida to own up to his actions.

He argued that the former leader’s broader contributions to Nigeria’s development should not be overshadowed by the controversial decision.

“For years, IBB prevaricated on the annulment, claiming he did it in the best national interest,” Ozekhome said.

“But on Thursday the 21st of February, 2025, Babangida during the presentation of his memoirs, ‘A Journey In Service’, pointedly regretted in the public: ‘I regret June 12. I accept full responsibility for the decisions taken and June 12 happened under my watch. Mistakes and missteps happened in quick succession. That accident of history is most regrettable. The nation is entitled to expect my expression of regret’

“And wait for it: He acknowledged for the first time that Abiola won the elections fair and square, trouncing his major opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa.

“I want to salute Babangida for having the courage and humility to own up like a man that everything that happened during the June 12 crisis took place under him as the head of state and the president who was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I salute him for acknowledging that his government which actually organised unarguably the freest, fairest and most credible elections in the electoral history of Nigeria when it introduced option A4 from electoral books that were hitherto unknown to Nigeria or the world.

“But unfortunately, regrettably like he now admits, he again turned around to annul the same elections in a way that was most bizarre, curious and unnatural.

“To me, that he has come out to open up to doing something wrong and egregious to a bleeding nation should be appreciated. I believe that Nigerians should forgive him because to err is human and to forgive is divine (Eph 4:32). I personally have now forgiven him because I was also a victim of the June 12 crisis.

“It takes a man with strong guts and balls and a man who has become repentant, born again and has seen the face of God to publicly recant his earlier wrongful deeds and offer public apology to the entire nation. This was no doubt meant to heal gapinng wounds and balm wounded and bruised hearts.”

While acknowledging the turmoil caused by the annulment, which ultimately led to Babangida’s exit from power and Abiola’s eventual detention and death, Ozekhome described him as one of Nigeria’s “most visionary leaders” in terms of policy and governance.