Did Babangida Rig the 1993 Election? Diya's Bold Claim and Babangida's Retort

 

In a 1994 interview with TELL Magazine, General Diya had some strong words about his former boss, Babangida. He claimed that if Babangida's son had run in the 1993 June presidential election, Babangida would have annulled the results because, in Diya’s view, Babangida simply wasn’t ready to let go of power.

Babangida, however, didn’t take this sitting down. A year later, in a response to TELL Magazine on July 24, 1995, he chose to maintain a sense of decorum. He expressed deep respect for General Diya but also pointed out that he didn’t engage in public disputes with his junior officers. In his words, ever since his early days as a lieutenant, he had avoided such confrontations. While he declined to directly address Diya’s accusations, Babangida did note that all the records of their meetings, including statements made by Diya, were carefully documented.

This back-and-forth is also mentioned in Babangida's autobiography, A Journey in Service, where he discusses the tensions and political maneuvers of the time.