Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has revealed that he once boldly advised former military president Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) to resign from office following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
Lamido made this known in his newly launched 487-page autobiography, Being True to Myself, which was unveiled at a public presentation in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a candid account from the book, Lamido recounted a conversation with IBB, where he expressed dissatisfaction with the political crisis at the time but welcomed the formation of an interim government — provided it would lead to Babangida’s exit from power.
“Then he asked me, ‘Sule, what do I do?’ In my naive and innocent way, I told him frankly, ‘Sir, you must resign and leave office.’
Immediately I said that, his countenance changed. I saw fire in his eyes; for some minutes he was speechless,” the excerpt read.
Lamido also explained that the selection of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 1999 was a deliberate move to mend the national wounds caused by the annulled June 12 election.
“The choice of Obasanjo as PDP candidate for the presidential election was to heal the June 12 wound,” he stated.
The book launch attracted several political heavyweights, including President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd); and former INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega.
The book was reviewed by former Senate President Iyorchia Ayu, and launched by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar alongside Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi.
Comments