A former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, has re-echoed the importance of the rule of law in Nigeria’s democracy, saying that the late MKO Abiola would have been declared the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election if due process had been upheld.
Fashola made the statement as a guest on the June 12 edition of The Platform, organised by the Covenant Nation in Lagos.
“If the rule of law had prevailed, there would have been no crisis on June 12. MKO would have been president, and perhaps all of his promises about a farewell to poverty would have happened,” he said, adding that the rule of law was important to the advancement of any society.
If the Rule of Law had prevailed, there would have been no crisis on June 12, 1993. MKO would have been president and perhaps all of his promises about farewell to poverty would have happened.
– Fmr Minister of Works, Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola #June12#DemocracyDay pic.twitter.com/yb1sX0mbnJ
— Channels Television (@channelstv) June 12, 2025
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Former Minister of Works & Housing, Babatunde Fashola, observes a moment of silence for those who paid the ultimate price for the very important day that we gather to commemorate and the freedom that comes with it.#June12#DemocracyDay pic.twitter.com/9kxdygts6e
— Channels Television (@channelstv) June 12, 2025
Abiola, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in that election, was believed to have won the polls, described as Nigeria’s most credible election.
However, that exercise was annulled by the military leadership of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Several years later, Babangida, during a book launch in his honour, admitted that the then-SDP candidate was truly the winner of the election.
But speaking on The Platform on Thursday, Fashola faulted the annulment and described it as a violation of the rule of law.
“I want us to see the rule of law in terms of law and order. That is the perspective that I want to share,” the former governor who also served as a minister under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari said.
To honour that 1993 election, the Federal Government in 2018 declared June 12 as Democracy Day, moving it from the previously known date of May 29.
