The Presidency Rebutts Lamido’s Claims on President Tinubu’s Role in the Pro-Democracy Struggle
Editor
The Presidency has strongly rejected claims made by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s role in the pro-democracy struggle. Lamido’s assertions that President Tinubu only joined the struggle after the formation of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) are false, revisionist, and historically dishonest.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Lamido’s claims represent a distortion of history and a regrettable attempt at revisionism.
He alleged that President Tinubu only rose to prominence after the formation of NADECO and claimed that Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised market women to back the annulment. These allegations are patently false. The Presidency clarified that Alhaja Mogaji never rallied support for the annulment of the election, adding that if she had done so, she would have lost her position as market leader in Lagos.
The statement further also revisited Lamido’s role during the crisis, accusing him of failing to defend the party’s mandate. “Alhaji Lamido, as secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP)—the party whose candidate, MKO Abiola, won the June 12 election—was among those who failed to oppose the military’s injustice,” the Presidency said. “Lamido and the then-chairman Tony Anenih surrendered the people’s mandate without resistance.”
In contrast, the Presidency highlighted President Tinubu’s consistent opposition to the military regime before the complete collapse of democratic institutions under General Abacha. It recalled that President Tinubu, who represented Lagos West District in the Third Republic, spoke on the Senate floor on August 19, 1993, categorically condemning the annulment. Quoting from the Senate record, the Presidency noted that President Tinubu had described the annulment as “another coup d’état,” warning against the injustice and abuse of power.
The Presidency also recalled Tinubu’s alignment with Abiola after his return from abroad, where he had gone to drum support for his mandate, and his subsequent defiance of the Abacha regime, following its dissolution of the interim government. It recalled that President Tinubu, along with Senators Ameh Ebute and Abu Ibrahim, was arrested and detained at Alagbon Police Station in Lagos when they attempted to reconvene the Senate in defiance of the junta.
According to the Presidency, during the period, President Tinubu funded mass protests against the annulment, including the shutdown of the Third Mainland Bridge. It also said that after Abiola’s arrest on June 22, 1994, the president joined other pro-democracy activists in fleeing the country and lived in exile for nearly five years.
The Presidency highlighted the president’s contributions to NADECO and support for NALICON, an international campaign led by Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka. The Presidency emphasized that President Tinubu’s role in sustaining NADECO and backing for the pro-democracy movement were pivotal to resisting military rule and restoring democracy.
Berating Lamido for a shortfall in historical perception, the Presidency said, “With his narrative, he appeared confused about the role of NADECO as an offshoot of the June 12 crisis which provided a platform to channel the struggle.” It also dismissed Lamido’s remarks as part of a broader political agenda being advanced by what it described as the “Coalition of the Disgruntled.” The Presidency stressed, “We do not want to believe that Alhaji Lamido suffers from what psychologists call tall poppy syndrome. However, the conclusion is inevitable as it appears that Lamido is envious of Tinubu’s democratic credentials.”
The Presidency concluded by calling on Lamido to fact-check his claims and avoid misleading the public. “Revisionism does not serve the cause of truth or our nation’s interests,” it added. The Presidency reaffirmed President Tinubu’s pro-June 12 credentials, noting that he never at any stage deserted the battle he joined at the outset when he was a senator.
