June 12 Controversy: Students Claim IBB’s Book Hides the Real Story

The autobiography of former military Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), titled "A Journey in Service," which was launched last Thursday in Abuja, was criticized by the National Association of Ogun State Students on Monday, calling it a cover-up of the annulment of June 12.

Accusing Babangida of ignoring the scandals and outstanding concerns from his rule, the students rejected the book as a compilation of lies.

Babangida's assertion that the late General Sani Abacha, his successor, was to blame for the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election that the late business magnate Chief MKO Abiola had won was denounced by them.

The students claimed that Babangida was trying to place the blame elsewhere rather than accept responsibility, characterizing this as an act of irresponsibility.

The group also called the former military leader a coward for delaying his attempt to defend his reprehensible part in calling off what is considered to be Nigeria's most free and fair presidential election by more than 31 years.

In a statement provided to reporters on Monday, Kehinde Thomas, the student organization's president, revealed this.

As NAOSS-affiliated Ogun State native students, we would like to partially read the statement: "As students, we are disappointed and deeply resentful of the praise that greeted the launch of the memoir of the former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (retd)."

The IBB's recognition that the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, an excellent son of our beloved state, won the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election does not relieve him of the wrongs and injustices done to the victor and the entire Southwest.

What kept a highly regarded combatant soldier, military tank specialist, and general for more than thirty years before he came to accept responsibility for the events of that era is a mystery.

For what reason did he publicly accuse the late General Sanni Abacha of vehemently opposing Abiola's election victory? While Abacha was still alive, he had plenty of time to correct the record. Now, his confession is blatantly cowardly.

"That memoir, in our opinion, validated what individuals have learned over the years rather than illuminating any gray areas. Why, aside from the June 12, 1993 incident, did IBB not reveal the identity of the letter bomb killer of investigative journalist Dele Giwa? What about other crimes his foot soldiers committed?

The student body also denounced the N16 billion donation made during the formal presentation of Babangida's memoir and the praise that some Nigerians gave him.


While some well-known Nigerians praised and showered IBB with praise at the occasion, it is shocking and depressing to learn that the book launch brought in at least N16 billion.

Undoubtedly, such acts exposed the ultimate price and sacrifice made by that great Nigerian and proud son of Ogun.

The statement went on to say, "We are confident that the late M.K.O. Abiola would be turning in his grave if he could see that IBB, who forewarned of the darkest period in Nigerian history, is being honored as a hero today."

The students' organization went on to say that accepting responsibility for bringing Nigeria into the dark ages and for the deaths of defenseless Nigerians who opposed the annulment did not make up for the wrongdoings and injustices of the IBB military dictatorship.

Thomas emphasized that rather than appeasing Nigerians, Babangida, as the country's leader at the time, ought to have followed the right road by opposing the injustice done to the late M.K.O. Abiola and the people of southwest Nigeria as a whole.

Thomas came to the conclusion that Babangida's admission that a distinguished son of Ogun had won the canceled presidential election more than thirty years later was "not only an act of cowardice but confessing to the obvious."