Part 2: Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Regime "The Story of the Annulment of the 1993 Elections"

                                                                        MKO Abiola

Background  

  Over 7 years into his rule as Military President, Babangida started putting together plans to return to civilian rule in 1992. He removed the ban on political activities and legalized the formulation of political parties and the country adopted a two-party presidential system. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republic Convention (NRC) were formed and Nigerians were urged to join any of the two parties, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly known as MKO Abiola a business tycoon emerged as the presidential candidate of the SDP while Alhaji Bashir Tofa also a business tycoon was the presidential candidate of the SDP. The formation of the Third Republic was full of hope and promise as their was no regionalism, both candidates were Muslims, one from the west and the other from the north and they both needed to win votes from the grassroots upto the federal level in each state.

1993 Elections And Annulment

  On 12 June 1993, the presidential elections were held. The results showed that MKO Abiola won with over 8 million votes winning 19 states while his opponent, the NRC candidate Bashir Tofa had over 6 million votes, winning in 10 states. Of the 14 million votes cast Abiola won almost 60% of votes officially making him the winner, compared to other elections held before and after the 1993 elections was adjudged to be the most freest and fairest as they were no instances of fraud or violence. Unfortunately the results were never announced and Babangida betrayed his long time friend Chief MKO Abiola by annulling the elections citing reasons of security threats and insecurity, it was said that some members of the Military Council were not ready to hand over power to a civilian government, it was clear that even if the Third Republic was established just like the Second it won't last long.

  The annulment of the elections brought massive pressure on Babangida and once again the country was thrown into crisis, particularly the Yoruba were more apprehensive as they felt the annulment was due to a Yoruba man winning the elections. Babangida at the height of the crisis sayed "if I am sleeping and I hear the Yoruba beating the drums of war, I would go back to sleep". Babangida was still pressured by the Military Council to hand over power on the date set earlier, so on 26th August 1993, Ernest Shonekan a Yoruba man was announced as Interim President. The Yoruba saw this as another insult as they felt Shonekan was just a makeshift president and he held no power and they were right as 83 days into his reign, on 17th November 1993, General Sani Abacha took over and Nigeria was once again thrown into military rule.