The Presidency has reacted to comments made by former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, accusing him of twisting the facts about President Bola Tinubu’s role during the June 12, 1993 election struggle.
The reaction came on Sunday after Lamido claimed during a television interview that Tinubu only gained public attention after joining the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), and even suggested that both Tinubu and his late mother were not opposed to the annulment of the election believed to have been won by MKO Abiola.
The Presidency responded through a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement rejected Lamido’s claims, saying they were misleading and aimed at creating a false narrative about Tinubu’s history in the democracy fight.
According to the statement, Tinubu was active in challenging the military government over the annulled election.
It added that Tinubu was not only outspoken as a senator in 1993 but also faced threats and even went into exile as a result of his stand.
His home was reportedly attacked during the military era, and he gave both financial and political support to the NADECO movement.
The Presidency also defended Tinubu’s mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, stating that she never supported the annulment or encouraged market women to do so.
It explained that she would have lost her respected leadership position in Lagos if she had acted otherwise.
It further said Lamido and some leaders of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), including Tony Anenih, abandoned the party’s presidential candidate, MKO Abiola, at a critical time and failed to defend the people’s mandate.
The statement described Lamido’s remarks as part of an effort to change public opinion ahead of the 2027 elections.
It warned that spreading such stories harms national unity and called on Lamido to verify his facts before speaking in public.
It also insisted that Tinubu played a key part in the June 12 struggle and accused Lamido of siding with military interests in the past instead of joining the push for democracy.
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