The family of the late General Sani Abacha has strongly rejected allegations made by former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, regarding the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
In his recently published memoir, A Journey in Service, Babangida placed the blame for the annulment on his then Chief of Defence Staff, General Sani Abacha. However, in a statement issued on Sunday, Abacha’s son, Mohammed Abacha, accused Babangida of “deliberate distortion of historical facts.”
Speaking on behalf of the Abacha family, Mohammed Abacha said Babangida was attempting to rewrite history and urged Nigerians to be cautious of “revisionist narratives” that attempt to shift blame from those truly accountable.
“We have seen recent claims made by General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida in his newly released book, A Journey in Service, in which he alleges that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was the responsibility of the late General Sani Abacha,” Mohammed Abacha said.
“These claims have sparked controversy and require a clear response from the immediate family of General Sani Abacha and the Abacha clan to set the record straight, in the interest of historical accuracy and justice.”
The family clarified that General Sani Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time of the June 12 election annulment. “The decision to annul the election was made under the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, who was the Head of State and held absolute executive powers. He alone was responsible for the actions of his government,” the statement emphasized.
The family further denounced any attempt to shift blame onto General Sani Abacha, who, they pointed out, was a senior military officer within Babangida’s regime, but not in charge of such a monumental decision. “Any attempt to shift this blame onto General Sani Abacha is a deliberate distortion of historical facts,” the statement read.
The Abacha family also underscored that General Sani Abacha remained fiercely loyal to Babangida throughout his service and even protected him when his life was under threat.
