At the unveiling of his memoir, Being True to Myself, in Abuja on Tuesday, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido pressed President Bola Tinubu to address a decades-old grievance by awarding ₦45 billion to the family of the late Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Lamido termed the payment as both a symbolic act of redress and a pathway to national reconciliation, referencing revelations in former military leader Ibrahim Babangida’s recent memoir. The ex-governor emphasized that compensating Abiola’s heirs would finally resolve one of Nigeria’s most contentious political tragedies.
“Before I end my remarks, I would like to appeal to the President, President (Bola) Tinubu, to close the chapter of June 12,” Lamido declared during the book presentation.
Citing Babangida’s account, Lamido noted, “In his book, General Babangida revealed that Abiola won the election. He said that. When I went to him, he said that Abiola was being owed ₦45 billion, and therefore, if he were the President, he would pay the money. So, it means Abiola is being doubly punished, denied his own presidency and also his own money.”
The former governor underscored the urgency of the payment, linking it to moral accountability. “Please, tell the President to please let him pay Abiola’s family the money for which he has been suffering, for which he has been denied his own presidency — ₦45 billion. It’s very, very important. When this money is paid, the chapter will be closed,” he added.
Lamido’s appeal revives longstanding debates over reparations for the annulled election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest democratic exercise. While Tinubu’s government has yet to respond, the call amplifies pressure to reconcile historical grievances as the nation reflects on its turbulent transition to democracy.
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