Presidency Slams ex-Gov Lamido Over June 12 Annulment Claims
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Presidency has reacted strongly to recent comments made by former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, alleging that President Bola Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
In a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), titled “Setting the Record Straight: President Tinubu’s Role in the June 12 Struggle,” the Presidency described Lamido’s claims as “patently false” and an attempt at “revisionism.”
According to the Presidency, Lamido’s allegations that Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilized market women to back the annulment are baseless.
The statement emphasized that Mogaji never supported the annulment, and had she done so, she would have lost her position as market leader in Lagos.
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Onanuga highlighted Tinubu’s significant role in the struggle for the restoration of democracy following the June 12 annulment.
On August 19, 1993, Tinubu, then a Senator, condemned the annulment, describing it as “another coup d’état” and urging Nigerians to reject injustice and lawlessness.
The statement also noted that Tinubu continued to fund pro-June 12 protests in Lagos, including the blockade of the Third Mainland Bridge, while in police detention.
The Presidency acknowledged Tinubu’s leading role in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a broad coalition of Nigerian democrats that called on the military government of Sani Abacha to step down in favor of the winner of the June 12 election, MKO Abiola.
Tinubu’s contributions to NADECO and his support for Professor Wole Soyinka’s NALICON were also highlighted.
In contrast to Tinubu’s steadfast advocacy for democracy, the Presidency pointed out Lamido’s record of capitulation in the face of military oppression and intimidation.
As secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Lamido, along with chairman Tony Anenih, surrendered the people’s mandate without resistance and teamed up with the defeated National Republican Convention to deny Abiola his mandate.
The Presidency stated that Lamido’s attempts to rewrite history for political reasons are disappointing and do not serve the cause of truth or the nation’s interests.
The statement advised Lamido to check his facts before spreading falsehoods, suggesting that he may be suffering from “tall poppy syndrome” due to envy of Tinubu’s democratic credentials
