Breaking: Judge Who Annulled Abiola’s Election Dies

By Uche Mbah

Retired Justice Muhammad Dahiru Saleh, who annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election, is dead. He was a former Chief judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

His death was announced by one of his grandsons, Arymayau Abubakar Liman. His death was also confirmed by the deputy governor of Bauchi state.

Saleh was said to have died in Azare, his home town, headquarters of Katagun Council of Bauchi State. He was related to the Deputy Governor of Bauchi state, Baba Tela.

June 12, 1993 presidential elections remained a landmark election in the history of Nigeria. The election was generally acclaimed to be won by the late business mogul, Moshood Abiola. It was adjudged the freest and fairest election conducted in Nigeria till date.

The electoral Umpire, Humphry Nwosu, introduced what he called option A4, a semi-secret ballot method that requires electorates to queue behind the candidate of their choice. Abiola’s vote cut across states in the whole of the country. A group, Association of Better Nigeria went to court to ask for the cancellation of the election. It fell on Justice Saleh’s lot to rule on the case.

He annulled the election.

This sparked off riots and labor actions that grounded the country and the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, was forced to step aside.

It was said by critics of the annulment that the underlying reason for the annulment was because it showed that the number of voters in the North was half of the number of voters in the South. “That is why option A4 will never be revisited in Nigeria”, a source said yesterday. “That was also why Humphry Nwosu was not mentioned when June 12 was declared Democracy day”.

He has since been buried according to Islamic rights, according to reports.