Abuja — Former Governor of Jigawa State and ex-National Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has revealed that he directly told former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd.), to resign following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Lamido made the disclosure in his recently launched autobiography, Being True to Myself, presented to the public on May 13. In the book, the former governor offers a detailed account of his encounter with Babangida during the political crisis that followed the annulled election won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.
In Chapter Seven, titled “June 12 Consumes IBB,” Lamido recalled being summoned to the Presidential Villa early one morning in the wake of the political turmoil.
“I was at the Nicon Noga Hilton (now Transcorp Hilton) when my phone rang. A voice identified itself as Col. Bamalli and said the Commander-in-Chief wanted to see me,” Lamido wrote. “Unknown to me, Babangida was on the parallel line. I heard his voice: ‘Kai Sule, ka zo yanzu (Hey Sule, come over right now).’”
During their meeting, Lamido said Babangida attempted to justify the annulment by claiming that Abiola could not be allowed to assume office because the government owed him money—an explanation Lamido dismissed as weak and moralising.
“As the national secretary of the SDP, I told him we were done discussing with the military government. We would not participate in any fresh election. As far as we were concerned, it was June 12 or nothing,” he recounted.
Lamido said Babangida, impressed by his frankness, asked what he thought should be done. “In my naïve and innocent way, I told him frankly, ‘Sir, you must resign and leave office.’ His countenance changed. I saw fire in his eyes; for some minutes, he was speechless.”
According to Lamido, Babangida responded: “Sule, no Nigerian can dare say that to me. I never thought you could be that daring. You are very lucky. I see in you someone who is godly.”
Lamido noted that Babangida later admitted he had misjudged him and wished they had met earlier.
The former governor also gave insight into the negotiations between the SDP, the National Republican Convention (NRC), and the military regime, which eventually led to the creation of the Interim National Government (ING) led by Chief Ernest Shonekan in August 1993.
“Babangida needed a neutral figure from the Southwest to lead the ING—someone with corporate credibility and acceptance among the Yoruba. Chief Ernest Shonekan, a respected industrialist and former chairman of the United African Company (UAC), fit that profile,” he wrote.
Lamido, however, criticised what he described as an attempt by some Yoruba leaders to hijack the June 12 mandate and turn it into an ethnic struggle.
“Although none of their prominent politicians had played any role in the elections, the Yoruba wanted to hijack the victory of the SDP and make it their own affair,” he alleged.
He clarified that contrary to popular belief, the leadership of the SDP and NRC was not involved in selecting Shonekan as interim leader.
The June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, was annulled by the Babangida-led military government, plunging the country into political unrest and eventually leading to the establishment of the ING.
