Former Minister of Police Affairs, Adams Maina Waziri, has claimed that the late MKO Abiola and his opponent Bashir Tofa were not the preferred candidates of Nigerians in the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Speaking at the Second Posthumous Legacy Colloquium held in Abuja on Thursday in honor of the late media mogul Raymond Dokpesi, Waziri asserted that Nigerians actually preferred other political figures including Adamu Chiroma, the late Shehu Musa Yar'adua, and Bamanga Tukur.

"Nigerians out of disappointment were forced to vote in 1993 for candidates not of their choice. With due respect, Abiola was not the choice of Nigerians and neither was Bashir Tofa," Waziri stated.

He further explained that the electorate voted for Abiola and Tofa primarily to end military rule in the country. "Nigerians were tired of military rule, so they were forced to vote to see if they could just ease the military out," he added.

Historical Context

The June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria's freest and fairest election, saw MKO Abiola emerge as the winner. However, the election was subsequently annulled by then-military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, citing national security concerns.

Waziri's comments come as a controversial perspective on an election that has been enshrined in Nigeria's democratic history, with June 12 now celebrated as Democracy Day in honor of Abiola's sacrifice.

Dokpesi's Legacy

During the colloquium, Waziri also highlighted the late Raymond Dokpesi's contributions to strengthening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Nigeria's political landscape.

"It was good he died at home. Otherwise, the controversy of his death on that day would have had dire consequences on this country," Waziri remarked about Dokpesi's passing.

The former minister called for proper documentation of Dokpesi's contributions to Nigeria's political development from 1999 to May 29, 2023, to preserve his legacy for future generations.