Prof Jonah Onuoha, Director, Centre for American Studies University of Nigeria Nsukka says former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida popularly known as IBB should tender an apology to Nigerians for derailing democratic process in 1993.
Onuoha, a Lecturer and former Head of Department Political Science in UNN said this in Nsukka on Friday in an interview with our correspondent while reacting to Thursday validation of late Chief Moshood Abiola’s victory in June 12, 1993 by IBB.
He said now that Babangida had acknowledged the annulment of June 12 as well as admitted that Abiola the candidate of the Social Democratic Party won that Presidential election, he should go further to tender a national apology.
“The annulment of that election adjudged by Nigerians and international community as the most credible, free and fair presidential election in Nigeria had adversely affected democracy in the country till now.
“Not only was that, the fairest and freest election was annulled but many Nigerians lost their lives and property in the crisis that later followed.
“It’s not enough that IBB expressed regret over annulment of June 12 election but he should go further to tender national apology to Nigerians as well as a special apology to family of Abiola ,” he said.
The director said now that it had been proved that Abiola won that election, President Bola Tinubu should
declare Abiola posthumously as the former President of the country since he won the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential poll.
“Justice demands that Abiola who won that election but died on the process of actualising the mandate given to him by Nigerians should be posthumously declared as a former President of the country.
“Federal Government should also compensate the family of Abiola by paying the family all the constitutional entitlements of a president for four years.
“It’s unfortunate that it took IBB a whole 32 years before telling Nigerians the truth about June 12 presidential election,” he said.
It would recalled that in chapter 12 of IBB autobiography launched Thursday in Abuja, titled, ‘A Journey In Service,’ the former military President regrets the annulment of June 12 election and described the annulment of the election as an “accident of history”.