Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that the President supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and was not part of the genuine early struggle for democracy.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, Lamido asserted that contrary to the popular narrative, Tinubu was aligned with the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, who nullified what is widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
“Tinubu was a major supporter of Babangida’s government. He wasn’t part of the democratic resistance. In fact, his mother, Hajiya Mogaji, mobilized Lagos market women to Abuja in support of the annulment,” Lamido stated.
The former governor dismissed Tinubu’s frequent references to his pro-democracy role as theatrics aimed at rewriting history. “I feel highly entertained by Tinubu’s rhetoric. The way he is dramatising his own role in Nigerian democracy is laughable,” he said.
Lamido claimed that Tinubu only became visible after General Sani Abacha seized power, noting that real pro-democracy activists took to the streets or remained in Nigeria to resist the military. According to him, Tinubu fled the country instead.
“Where was Tinubu on June 11? When we were resisting, he ran away. It was only after Abacha came in that Tinubu joined NADECO. He became an activist in exile,” Lamido declared.
He accused Tinubu of attempting to “deconstruct and rewrite history” to fit a narrative that serves his political ambition.
“All those NADECO people came after the fact. They weren’t there in the immediate aftermath of the annulment. Tinubu was hand-in-glove with Babangida,” he said.
Lamido concluded by reiterating his political opposition to Tinubu, vowing to collaborate with others to unseat him in the 2027 general election.
