June 22, (THEWILL) – Almost a fortnight after the official celebration of Democracy Day on June 12, 2025 in commemoration of the annulled presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola 32 years ago, a major altercation has broken out between two principal participants in the struggle to revalidate the results of that election.
The disputants are Alhaji Sule Lamido, General Secretary of Abiola ‘s Social Democratic Party, SDP, and President Bola Tinubu, one of the pro-democracy arrowheads.
Lamido, during a recent live television appearance, claimed that President Tinubu became a prominent pro-democracy figure only after the formation of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, the major platform that rallied pro-democracy activists in the struggle against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
He also alleged that Tinubu’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised market women in support of the annulment.
Lamido said, “I find Tinubu’s rhetoric highly entertaining—the way he dramatises his role in Nigeria’s democracy. Luckily, we are all alive. We were all there. Tinubu only became relevant after late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha took over power.
“Before then, Tinubu was just a party secretary. With all due respect, he was one of those who supported Babangida and opposed June 12. His mother organised the Lagos market women to support Babangida.”
He credited others with taking real risks during the June 12 struggle, having stayed in the country to confront the military regime while people like Tinubu fled the country and came back to “inherit the product but were not part of the process.”
In reaction, the Presidency on Sunday dismissed Lamido’s claims that Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The Presidency, in a statement titled “Setting the Record Straight: President Tinubu’s Role in the June 12 Struggle”, described Lamido’s remarks as a “distortion of history” and a “regrettable attempt at revisionism.”
Signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the statement described the claims against Tinubu and his mother as “patently false,” noting that, “Had she (Mogaji) taken such a stance, she would have lost her position as the market leader in Lagos.”
Onanuga redirected the blame for the betrayal of Chief MKO Abiola’s presidential mandate to the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where Lamido served as National Secretary during the annulment crisis.
“To their eternal shame, Lamido and (then SDP Chairman) Tony Anenih collaborated with the defeated National Republican Convention to undermine Abiola’s victory,” Onanuga said.
He highlighted President Tinubu’s firm resistance to the annulment, referencing his fiery Senate speech on August 19, 1993, where he condemned the action as a “coup d’état” and urged Nigerians to reject injustice.
“We have a situation that suggests the abortion of the June 12 election is another coup d’état,” Tinubu had said. “This is a self-inflicted crisis… the present military administration has committed a crime.”
The statement added that even after General Sani Abacha’s takeover on November 17, 1993, Tinubu remained defiant, reconvening with fellow senators in Lagos before being arrested and detained at Alagbon.
“While in detention, Tinubu continued to fund pro-June 12 protests, including the blockade of the Third Mainland Bridge,” the statement added.
Onanuga noted that Tinubu was one of the few political figures who stood by Abiola through the military clampdown and paid a heavy personal price.
“The truth is clear. President Tinubu stood firm when many others chose silence or compromise. His legacy in the June 12 struggle is backed by documented facts and historical evidence,” Onanuga said.
According to him, Lamido’s claims represent a deliberate distortion of history and a regrettable attempt at revisionism, adding that Lamido’s allegation that the President’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised market women in support of the annulment is completely unfounded.
“To set the record straight, Alhaja Mogaji never took such a stance. Had she done so, she would have lost her position as market leader in Lagos. While she had a prior relationship with former President Ibrahim Babangida, it was before the annulment crisis,” Onanuga noted.
On Tinubu’s role in the pro-June 12 struggles, Onanuga said that Tinubu stood firm, adding that days before the collapse of the Interim National Government, he gave a speech on the floor of the Senate condemning the annulment and calling it a ‘self-inflicted crisis.’
After Abacha’s coup, Onanuga said, Tinubu and a group of senators defied the military, reconvened in Lagos and were arrested, detained at Alagbon and charged in court. Yet, they did not back down and went on to fund protests and supported resistance against the military regime.
He argued, “Following Abiola’s self-declaration as President in June 1994, Tinubu joined other pro-democracy activists in exile, sustaining the struggle abroad. His home in Lagos was later bombed by agents of the Abacha regime.
“Tinubu was also a key supporter of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s NALICON and a pillar of NADECO. He provided funding and logistical support to many exiled journalists and pro-democracy actors. It is therefore disingenuous for Lamido to now seek to discredit his role.
“While Tinubu stood for principle and paid the price, Lamido and his allies were busy striking deals with the Abacha dictatorship.”
Conceding that the former Jigawa governor grudgingly admitted Tinubu’s role in NADECO, Onanuga restated that Lamido’s overall narrative reeks of political envy and a desire to rewrite history.
“This is unfortunate and a disservice to the legacy of the June 12 struggle. President Tinubu was and remains a steadfast advocate of democracy. Unlike those who capitulated under pressure, he stood his ground. History will remember that,” he said.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
