“Close June 12’s Chapter, Pay Abiola Family N45b” – Sule Lamido to Tinubu

By Gideon Njoku

“Abiola has been double-punished. He was not given the Presidency, and he is owed N45 billion in debts”

A former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has warned the Federal Government of the injustice in its continued punishment of the late Chief Moshood Abiola.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, May 13, 2024, at the launch of his book, Being True To Myself, Lamido described a situation where Abiola was still being owed the sum of N45 billion by the Federal Government of Nigeria as double punishment.

Chief Abiola won Nigeria’s  Presidential Election which was held on June 12, 1993. But he was denied the joy of occupying the seat by the Military Regime of General Ibrahim Babangida which canceled the exercise and its outcome. Abiola was to tragically die in detention where he was clamped and being prosecuted by the late General Sani Abacha Regime for fighting for his mandate, just when he was expected to be set free by the General Abubakar Abdulsalami Regime which succeeded Abacha’s after the maximum leader’s sudden death.

However, even though it had since been taken for granted that Abiola won the election, it was not until recently during the launch of his autobiography that Babangida publicly admitted that the late Abiola won the Presidential election free and fair and square.

It is based on that admission that Lamido, who revealed that Babangida told him about the N45 billion owed to Abiola by the Federal Government is pleading that the debt be paid to the Abiola family so as to close the June 12 chapter.

Lamido: “I would like to appeal to President  Tinubu to close the chapter of June 12. In his book, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida revealed that Abiola won the election.

“When I went to him (IBB), he said Abiola is being owed N45 billion. Abiola is double-punished. One, he was not given the Presidency, and two, he is being owed.”

Specifically addressing the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who represented President Tinubu at the event, Lamido said: “Please, tell him (President Tinubu) to pay Abiola’s family the N45 billion. When this money is paid, the chapter of June 12 will be closed. It is very important.”

Babangida, even though he was the Head of the Regime, blamed Abacha, who was his subordinate, for the cancelation of that Presidential election which repercussions still haunt Nigeria till date. He was dismissed as a coward by the Abacha family and a number of other people for heaping the blame on the late Head of State.