Following the Exclusive Interview, granted the former military dictator General Ibrahim Babangida, by the Arise News Television, the Southern Nigeria Frontier SNF is constrained to react, to some of the expressions, made by General Babangida, during the Interview, particularly the reason adduced, for the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election, won by renowned philanthropist, Chief MKO Abiola.
Our reaction is pertinent, to dismiss Babangida’s reason for the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election, for the sake of posterity and unsuspecting Nigerians, particularly the younger generation, who IBB is out to manipulate, with his incorrect historical claim.
It is very disturbing, that despite the acknowledgement of the clean victory of Chief MKO Abiola as the winner of the election, adjudged to be the freest and fairest in our history, by local and international stakeholders, including the Courageous decision of the incumbent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, to recognise the victory of Chief Abiola and the subsequent conferment of the highest honor of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic GCFR, General Babangida still lives in his lies of the past, that the annulment of the election was to avert violence and a bloody coup in the country.
We insist, that if there would have been any violence aftermath of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, it must have been one, that would have been orchestrated by the evil genius himself, and not any right thinking group of Nigerians, including the Nigerian military, which Babangida is using his old age, to blackmail.
SNF wish to sound it clear to General Babangida, that despite his attempt to distort the history of June 12 Presidential election, the decision of his regime to annul the election will forever remain his Nemesis.
While we concede, that it is within the right of Babangida, to express himself through the media, we will not watch the unapologetic former military dictator, to continually insult the sensibilities of our people, especially the memory of those, who paid the ultimate price, for the actualization of the June 12 mandate.
We must however let General Babangida know, that the memory of our people, is not as short as he thinks, as his iniquities have been well preserved.
We shall not cease to ask, until a genuine answer is given, as to why Babangida annulled the June elections won by Bashorun M.K.O Abiola and the attendant crises which consumed the lives of Chief Abiola and his wife Kudirat, Pa Alfred Rewane, and hundreds of protesters mowed down on the streets of Lagos and other cities.
General Babangida must apologize and assuage the feelings of the aggrieved Nigerians, whose mandate he truncated with the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election.
IBB must desist from distorting our history.
Signed:
Olufemi Lawson
Spokesman
Southern Nigeria Frontier, SNF
