Lekan Abiola, son of the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, has revealed that former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), privately apologized to the Abiola family for his role in the election annulment.

Speaking at the MKO Abiola Memorial Symposium in Lagos on Thursday, Lekan described the family's mixed feelings about receiving a private apology for what was a public injustice.

"We returned from the United States of America; we have met IBB, and he has apologized privately to us," Lekan stated. "Before now, for the private apology, there was nothing we could do about that. It is as though someone punched you in public and said sorry in private."

Despite the nature of the apology, Lekan indicated that the family felt a significant sense of relief following Babangida's acknowledgment of his role in the annulment. He also mentioned that IBB has maintained contact with the Abiola family since then.

Democracy Day Recognition

BenriNews reports that during the recent Democracy Day celebration, President Bola Tinubu awarded posthumous honors to MKO's late wife, Kudirat Abiola, along with other nationalists who contributed to Nigeria's democratic journey.

The June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria's freest and fairest election, was annulled by the Babangida military regime, triggering widespread protests and a prolonged political crisis that defined Nigeria's struggle for democratic governance.

MKO Abiola later died in detention on July 7, 1998, after being imprisoned for declaring himself president in defiance of the annulment.

The Nigerian government under former President Muhammadu Buhari officially recognized June 12 as Democracy Day in 2018, a move that many saw as a long-overdue acknowledgment of Abiola's sacrifice and the significance of that election in Nigeria's democratic history.

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