Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has urged President Bola Tinubu to pay ₦45 billion in restitution to the family of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election. Lamido made the appeal on Tuesday during the launch of his autobiography, Being True to Myself, in Abuja.
He said the payment would serve as both a symbol of justice and a moral closure to one of the most painful episodes in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Before I end my remarks, I would like to appeal to the President, President (Bola) Tinubu, to close the chapter of June 12,” Lamido said. “In his book, General Babangida revealed that Abiola won the election. He said that Abiola was being owed ₦45 billion and that if he were president, he would have paid the money. So Abiola is being doubly punished denied his presidency and denied his money.”
Lamido added that paying the money would help heal the lingering wounds from the annulled election and show Nigeria’s commitment to historical justice.
The appeal follows renewed national discourse on the June 12 saga, sparked by former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir, A Journey in Service, released in February. In the book, Babangida admitted for the first time that Abiola, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), won the election with over 8 million votes, defeating Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), who polled about 5.8 million.
Babangida described annulling the election as the most difficult decision of his life, claiming it was influenced by fears of military coups and potential instability. He said the announcement of the annulment was made without his direct authorisation.
While some Nigerians, including President Tinubu, have commended Babangida for finally acknowledging Abiola’s victory, others including human rights groups have criticized the memoir as an attempt to whitewash history and shift blame.
In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari posthumously conferred on Abiola Nigeria’s highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), and declared June 12 as Nigeria’s official Democracy Day in recognition of his democratic struggle.
Lamido’s demand has added a new layer to the national conversation around restitution, truth, and reconciliation. Whether the Tinubu administration will consider financial compensation as part of the national healing process remains to be seen.
