The ground is being prepared for the rumored return of General Ibrahim Babangida to politics, as his incubated former electoral figurehead, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, suddenly came out of hiding to acknowledge what the whole world knows - that MKO Abiola won the June 12 election - while absolving the Evil Genius of any blame for the most dastardly crime against democracy in Nigeria's history. He says Babangida was overcome by other generals who would not uphold the outcome of the election.
Many Nigerians had expected Nwosu to reveal unknown details of the June 12 election, but there was nothing new, except that his book launch turned out to be a carefully-plotted attempt to launder IBB's battered image before Nigerians by shifting the blame over the anulment from the all-powerful Head of State to other military leaders at the time, who answered to only Babangida.
By doing so, the steam of respectability was removed from the much-expected book, leaving observers to wonder about its timing, when Babangida had just started another attempt to gain acceptance among his opponents by associating with those who had stood for the actualization of the election.
Just the other day, one of his closest associates, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, had told Nigerians to forget about June 12, a call that drew instant condemnation across the country.
Weeks before, Babangida had been travelling Western Nigeria, using the death of the former leader of Afenifere, - a strong political group - Abraham Adesanya, as a platform to win friends among his foes.
But the book launch by Prof. Nwosu is the boldest attempt yet to rehabilitate the General in the 15 years that he had lost face and wandered in a political wilderness.
Many people at the event described Nwosu’s position on the annulment of the poll as a public relations stunt for Babangida.
The reviewer of the book, Prof. Adele Jinadu, faulted Nwosu for blaming the annulment on nameless and faceless colleagues of Babangida.
“What then does this tell us about Babangida? That he was not in control, a mere figurehead or harlequin? If so, who then was in control? he asked rhethorically.
Also reacting, Umar, a former military Governor of Kaduna State said, “It is incomprehensible for anyone to blame the crew and absolve the captain of a sunk ship”
A former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Dr. Tony Iredia, said Nwosu failed to tell the whole story of the June 12 election.
Iredia, who was an official in NEC at the time, said the book did not contain details of how Nwosu was arrested during the period and the cheque that was given to the commission with a view to bribing its officials.
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari, spoke in a similar vein. He said a lot of waters passed under the bridge much more than Nwosu had revealed.
He, however, noted that the book would ginger further debate and compel others to share their experiences on the matter.
Babangida, who was slated to be the chief guest of honour, did not attend the event. He was however represented by a former Director of Military Intelligence, Brig.-Gen. Halilu Akilu (rtd.).
Nwosu threw a bombshell when he said: “Babangida did not annul the election but some of his civilian friend and senior military colleagues were the masterminds.”
He added that inspite of a series of plots by a military cabal to stop the election from holding, NEC still went ahead with it.
Nwosu said, “Given the Abuja High Court order on the night of June 10, 1993, the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice(Chief Clement Akpamgbo) advised the National Defence and Security Council that NEC should obey the court order and stop holding the election.
“This position was in conformity with the view of some senior military officers. It was our humble effort (the NEC chairman and the Director of Legal Services of NEC, Mr. Buhari Bello) that convinced the military President to give us the go- ahead to carry on with the conduct of June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“The import of the above facts is that some civilians and senior military colleagues of the then military President that were present in the critical meeting of the NDSC on June 11, 1993, opposed the conduct of the June 12 election.
“The military President, the military vice-president (Augustus Aikhomu) and NEC were on one side of the divide. The most visible and outspoken military officer who was on the side of the President and actualisation of the June 12 election throughout was Col. Abubakar Umar(rtd) but unfortunately, he was not a member of the NDSC.
“It is therefore apparent that some senior military colleagues of Babangida who in the first instance were against the conduct of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and who were outwitted by the combined efforts of the military President and NEC, during the NDSC meeting of June 11, 1993 caused the election to be annulled.
“They were propelled to act on June 23, 1993 when they realised that as a result of the court action taken by NEC at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna, that Bello had already succeeded in getting accelerated hearing fixed for June 25, 1993?
He said that Babangida exhibited the strongest political will and provided adequate financial and moral support for the election.
