By Tonye Clinton Jaja
On 20th February 2025, the PUNCH newspaper reported as follows:
“Former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, on Thursday, expressed regret over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, describing it as the most difficult period of his life.
Babangida said this at the official launch of his memoir, ‘A Journey in Service,’ in Abuja.
He said, “Undoubtedly credible, free and fair elections were held in June, on June 12, 1993.
“As a leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all decisions taken under my watch.”
He added, “And June 12 happened under my watch, mistakes, oversights and missteps happened in quick succession, but I say in my book, in all matters, we acted in the supreme national interest so that Nigeria could survive.”
So this is a public admission and owning up to responsibility!!!
This admission and taking of responsibility is a good start.
The next logical step is for both the federal government of Nigeria and IBB to take the legal steps to enforce restitution by the following two actions:
- Amendment of Item 5 of the Schedule to the Public Holidays Act (Cap.P40) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria to include this admission by IBB and to reflect in the records that late Chief M.K.O. Abiola was a former President of Nigeria;
- IBB ought to restitute to the Federal Government of Nigeria (office of the Attorney-General of the Federation) at least ₦10,000,000,000 (ten billion naira) out of the ₦17bn that he realised at the book launch for the building of a presidential library for legal research on electoral matters (inside the premises of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja) to be named after late Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
The foregoing suggestions are consistent with the current principles of Restitution which has become a significant part of social justice in Nigeria and all over the world.
While admission of guilt, is laudable and serves a therapeutic purpose for the relatives of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, they further require restitution as a tangible and concrete gesture of the genuineness of this latest admission by IBB. Bearing in mind that the family of the late M.K.O. Abiola suffered a lot because of that singular action of annulment of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election. This includes the brutal murder of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola.
Additionally, restitution serves as a lesson for the entire Nigerian society, never to repeat the mistakes of our predecessors.
For the avoidance of any doubts, the definition of restitution is provided as follows:
“1. the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
“the ANC had demanded the restitution of land seized from black people”
Similar:
return
restoration
handing back
replacement
surrender
yielding
recovery
Opposite:
seizure
occupation;
2.
recompense for injury or loss.
“he was ordered to pay £6,000 in restitution”
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
Executive Director,
Nigerian Law Society (NLS).
