By Queen Kunde
In a rebuttal to recent remarks made by former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, the Presidency has categorically dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, described Lamido’s comments as a “distortion of history” and “a regrettable attempt at revisionism” that undermines Tinubu’s well-documented role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement.
Lamido had, during a televised interview, alleged that Tinubu only rose to national relevance after the emergence of NADECO and that his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised support for the annulment. The Presidency says nothing could be further from the truth.
“Alhaja Mogaji never mobilised anyone in support of the annulment,” Onanuga clarified. “Had she done so, she would have lost her moral authority and position as market leader in Lagos.”
The release took aim at Lamido’s own political history, pointing out that as Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) the very platform on which MKO Abiola won the annulled election Lamido and other party leaders failed to resist the injustice.
“In contrast,” the statement read, “Senator Bola Tinubu, as a sitting senator in 1993, boldly condemned the annulment on the floor of the Senate, describing it as a ‘coup d’état’ and called on Nigerians to reject injustice.”
Historical records cited by the Presidency show that Tinubu publicly denounced the interim government set up by General Ibrahim Babangida, resisted the military junta of General Sani Abacha, and was even arrested alongside other lawmakers for opposing the regime.
When the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was formed in 1994, Tinubu was among its leading lights. He was later forced into exile for nearly five years, during which time his home in Lagos was bombed by agents of the Abacha regime. Despite being abroad, Tinubu continued to fund and support pro-democracy protests at home, including the now-iconic blockade of the Third Mainland Bridge.
“While Lamido and others made peace with the dictatorship, Tinubu put his life, family, and finances on the line,” Onanuga stated. “His contribution extended beyond NADECO, as he also materially supported international advocacy efforts like Professor Wole Soyinka’s NALICON.”
The State House concluded by accusing Lamido of political envy and warned against deliberate historical revisionism. “We do not want to believe that Lamido suffers from tall poppy syndrome, but his comments suggest deep-seated resentment,” Onanuga added.
“President Tinubu remains one of the most committed defenders of democracy Nigeria has ever produced. The records are public, and history will vindicate him.”
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