Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa, has asked President Bola Tinubu to pay the N45 billion allegedly owed by the federal government to the family of the late MKO Abiola.
Lamido spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the public presentation of his memoir titled ‘Being True To Myself’.
“Before concluding, I appeal to President Bola Tinubu to finally close the June 12 chapter. In his book, Ibrahim Babangida acknowledged Abiola’s victory in that election,” he said.
“When I visited him, he also confirmed Abiola is owed N45 billion. He was doubly punished, denied both the presidency and his due.”
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The former governor asked Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, who represented Tinubu at the event, to convey his demand to the president.
“Please tell the president to pay Abiola’s family the N45 billion. That will finally close the June 12 chapter,” Lamido said.
In a 2018 interview, Lamido said Abiola made the debt demand after the death of Murtala Muhammed, former head of state, but the military turned his request down.
He said the debt was for contracts executed for the ministry of communication.
Abiola was the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election that was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida, the then-military president.
Babangida led Nigeria as head of state from 1985 to 1993.
In his memoir released in February, Babangida admitted that Abiola won the presidential election.
Abiola died on July 7, 1998, while in detention after declaring himself the winner of the June 12 election.
In 2018, the federal government recognised the late Abiola as the winner of the June 12, 1993, election and also conferred a posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on him.
