Hafsat Abiola-Costello, daughter of the late MKO Abiola and Kudirat Abiola, has responded to former military leader Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtd.), who recently confirmed that MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Babangida made this statement on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of his memoir, A Journey in Service.
Reacting to Babangida’s statement, Abiola-Costello expressed relief that the former head of state had finally acknowledged the election’s true outcome.
“For those who doubted that Nigerians spoke decisively on that day, I’m glad that General IBB’s admission that MKO won the election can now lay the matter to rest,” she said.
She emphasized that June 12 is more than just a personal memory of her parents—it represents a collective hope for a better Nigeria.
Read also:
2025 Budget: Atiku Demands US$1.07 Billion Health Sector Appropriation Public Audit
“Whenever June 12 is mentioned, my mind goes to MKO and Kudirat. But beyond them, the significance of June 12 lies in the hope it symbolized for a united and progressive Nigeria,” she added.
Abiola-Costello described the June 12 election as a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“MKO may have been the symbol of the Hope ‘93 campaign, but June 12 was about more than one man—it was about Nigeria’s promise to deliver for its people.
It’s sad that such a decisive moment was cut short by an unjust annulment. However, I will always be grateful to both MKO and Kudirat for standing firm in the fight for democracy, despite the risks to their personal safety. May such commitment endure.”
