Nicholas Tofowomo, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on the former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, to offer Nigerians a deep and sincere apology.
He said this was necessary due to the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was believed to have been won by the late Moshood Abiola (MKO).
At the launch of his book, “A Journey in Service,” on Thursday in Abuja, Mr Babangida admitted that Mr Abiola won the election. He, however, cited certain conditions for the annulment, which has remained a controversial issue in Nigeria’s political history.
Mr Tofowomo, who represented Ondo South Senatorial District in the ninth National Assembly, told journalists on Friday in Okitipupa that Mr Babangida should not just acknowledge the annulment in his book.
He insisted that Mr Babangida offer a public apology rather than simply reflecting on the incident for the sake of his book launch.
The senator noted that millions of naira were wasted on the election, and many Nigerians suffered pain and agony, with several lives lost due to the annulment.
“Babangida must not use this revelation to raise funds for a presidential library. He needs to offer a deep and sincere apology to Nigerians for the pain caused.
“Until he tenders an unreserved apology, the foundation of that library remains tainted. Anyone seeking to build a national library must have clean hands,” he said.
He stated that the annulment disrupted the country’s political landscape and that Nigeria might have been better off if Mr Abiola had been declared the winner and allowed to govern.
Mr Tofowomo stressed that Mr Babangida’s apology was necessary for Nigerians to fully forgive him and move forward, as the annulment set the country back many years.
The former Ondo State Commissioner for Transportation noted that Mr Babangida did not only offend the late Abiola but also other politicians, including senators-elect who were never sworn in.
Mr Tofowomo urged the federal government to set up a committee to assess the full impact of the annulment and recommend compensation for all aggrieved parties.
He added that until all these issues were addressed, it was not yet Uhuru for Mr Babangida, and the pain inflicted on Nigerians over the annulment would not be forgotten.
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