Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
Lamido made the allegation during an interview on Arise Television on Saturday night, where he accused Tinubu of rewriting history and dramatising his role in Nigeria’s democratic struggle for political gain.
His latest attack came at a time he’s actively supporting the formation of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) to defeat Tinubu in the 2027 election. ADA has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking registration.
While Tinubu recently touted his role in the entrenchment of democracy and revealed what happened during the 1993 election adjusted to be freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, Lamido thinks otherwise declaring that Tinubu’s is over hailing himself and dramatizing his role.
“I feel highly entertained by Tinubu’s rhetoric, the way he’s dramatising his role in Nigeria’s democracy,” Lamido said.
“The truth is, Tinubu only became prominent after Abacha took over the government. Before then, he was in the Senate and served as Secretary of the SDP.”
Lamido, a former Foreign Affairs Minister and long-time member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed that during the period of political turmoil following the annulment, Tinubu aligned himself with then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida, who nullified what is widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
“Tinubu was actively hand-in-glove with Babangida. His own mother, Hajia Abibatu Mogaji, was organising Lagos market women to come to Abuja and pledge their support for Babangida,” Lamido alleged.
He further argued that contrary to popular belief, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) — the opposition group widely credited with resisting military rule and demanding the actualization of the June 12 mandate — was not primarily focused on restoring Abiola’s victory.
“NADECO was postulated to fight Abacha, not for June 12,” Lamido claimed. “People like Tinubu only became vocal when Abacha’s repression intensified, not necessarily because they believed in the sanctity of June 12.”
The June 12, 1993 election, which was presumed to have been won by Chief Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), was annulled by Babangida without official results being announced, sparking widespread national and international condemnation.
Abiola was later detained by General Sani Abacha, under whose regime many pro-democracy activists — including Tinubu — fled into exile or went underground.
However, Lamido’s assertion challenges the entrenched narrative that positions Tinubu as a hero of the democratic resistance.
“He was part of those who supported IBB’s annulment of the June 12 election,” Lamido said. “His later activism was more opportunistic than principled.”