Senator Adams Oshiomhole has taken aim at the late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former Chairman of the now-defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), over his handling of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The historic election, widely regarded as one of the fairest in Nigeria’s history, is believed to have been won by the late business mogul and Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Moshood Abiola. However, the results were never officially declared, leading to widespread political turmoil.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North in the Senate, criticized Nwosu for failing to announce the winner despite conducting the election.
“If Nwosu had declared him, heaven would not fall,” the former Edo State governor argued. “What may happen at best is that they will detain him, and how do you now detain him because he has followed the law enacted by the military?”
Oshiomhole, a former labor leader, expressed frustration over Nwosu’s reluctance to take the final step.
“We told him that having organised the election up to the presidency, why won’t you just do the next step of declaring the winner? Abiola died pursuing a mandate; he had to proclaim himself as the winner, which Nwosu was going to do.”
He further compared Abiola’s courage to Nwosu’s hesitation, stating, “If Abiola can have the courage—Abiola was not a militant. He wasn’t a Professor of Political Science; he was basically a businessman, but he had enough courage to say ‘I won this election.’ Someone who has the background in Political Science ought to be able to do even better than that.”
The election was annulled by then-Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, who reneged on his promise to return power to civilians.
At the time, Babangida defended the decision by claiming it was necessary to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary.
“These steps were taken to save our judiciary from being ridiculed and politicized locally and internationally,” he stated in a decree.
The annulment sparked outrage both in Nigeria and abroad, with Western diplomats and opposition figures condemning the decision as a ploy to extend military rule. In addition to scrapping the election results, Babangida also suspended the National Electoral Commission, preventing it from completing the democratic transition process.
More than three decades later, Babangida has publicly admitted that Abiola won the election. In his recently published autobiography, A Journey in Service, launched in Abuja on February 20, the retired general acknowledged for the first time that the results confirmed Abiola’s victory.
He also accepted responsibility for the controversial decision, stating, “As the leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all decisions taken under my watch. And June 12 happened under my watch.”
Reflecting on the political crisis that followed, Babangida admitted, “Mistakes, oversights, and missteps happen in quick succession, but I say in my book, in all matters, we acted in supreme national interest so that Nigeria could survive.”
He concluded, “Our nation’s march to democracy was interrupted, a fact that I deeply regret. But Nigeria survived and democracy is still alive, a testament to our resilience and commitment to progress. This book is part of my personal story with national history.”
The June 12 annulment remains a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey, one that reshaped the country’s political landscape and continues to influence discussions about governance and electoral integrity.
