The family of the late Sani Abacha has rejected claims made by a former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, concerning the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Babangida had in his recently unveiled memoir, ‘A Journey in Service’, blamed the annulment on his then Chief of Defence Staff, Abacha.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the late general’s son, Mohammed Abacha, accused Babangida of engaging in a “deliberate distortion of historical facts.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mohammed Abacha accused Babangida of attempting to rewrite history, urging Nigerians to be wary of “revisionist narratives” that shift responsibility away from those truly accountable.
“Our attention has been drawn to recent claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in his newly launched book, ‘A Journey in Service’, where he alleged that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was the responsibility of the late General Sani Abacha,” Abacha said.
“These claims have sparked widespread controversy and necessitate a clear response from the immediate family of General Sani Abacha and the entire Abacha clan in the interest of historical accuracy and justice.
“It is important to state unequivocally that General Sani Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time the June 12 election was annulled.
“The decision to annul the election was made under the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, who, as the then Head of State, held absolute executive powers and was solely responsible for the actions of his government.
“Any attempt to shift this blame onto General Sani Abacha, who was a very senior military officer within the regime, is a deliberate distortion of historical facts.”
The family said Abacha remained loyal to Babangida throughout his lifetime, even protecting him when his life was under threat.