Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-cultural group, has knocked former military head of state, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), for giving a reason it considers “insulting” for annulling the June 12 election.
Recall that IBB had annulled the June 12, 1993, general election considered by most Nigerians as the freest and fairest poll in the country’s history.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television, IBB had stated that he annulled the election to prevent a coup d’etat.
Reacting, Sola Ebiseni, secretary-general of Afenifere, described Babangida’s comment as “a sour taste in the mouth”.
“Babangida has not said a new thing worthy of any reaction in respect of his treasonable acts of the annulment of the adjudged freest and fairest election in the country’s political history,” he said.
“Nigerians are not interested in any excuse being given by IBB. It is even most preposterous that IBB will only now be insulting the intelligence of Nigerians that he annulled their mandate to forestall a violent coup, which, by reasonable inference, he was aware of.
“He lost the opportunity of being the hero of democracy and father of a new Nigeria, an eternal regret that no whitewashing on television can redeem.
“However, it is no gain saying the fact that the present administration has made saints of all previous administrations in every aspect of governance.”
