Prominent Publisher Dele Momodu Disappointed Over Nigeria’s Incomplete June 12 Closure
Renowned publisher, politician, and former presidential aspirant Dele Momodu has expressed deep disappointment over Nigeria’s failure to bring full closure to the June 12 chapter.
Reacting to former President Ibrahim Babangida’s admission of regret for annulling the June 12 elections in 1993 during his book launch “A Journey of Service” in Abuja last week, Momodu said he believes that a sincere and “unconditional apology” from the former president was all that was needed to acknowledge the injustice and fully heal the nation.
“I was hoping that we would be able to bring some form of closure to the June 12 crisis. All that we needed to do that day was to get a full unconditional apology for what happened,” Momodu stated.
“The moment I started hearing excuses about how we did it in the national interest, we did it so our democracy could survive. I don’t think what we have today is a proper democracy,” he noted.
Momodu criticized the current political landscape, arguing that it has strayed from true democratic values, pointing out that governments at all levels manipulate elections, leaving no room for real competition.
“It’s become a sham where the federal government wants to win every election, the state government wants to win every election, the local government is in disarray. So at the end of the day, what have we gained?” he asked.
According to him, the electoral system has descended into chaos, with politicians exploiting the courts rather than allowing free and fair elections.
“People tell you, yes, I can declare myself, go to court. So what we have today is kangarooism, which started after June 12,” he said, coining the term to describe the state of Nigeria’s flawed electoral process.
For Momodu, the annulled June 12, 1993 election remains a defining moment in Nigeria’s political history—one that could have set the country on the right path.
Despite this missed chance, he believes genuine democratic reforms and a commitment to electoral integrity are still possible. However, he insists that for true democracy to be restored, there must first be an honest reckoning with the past—something he feels Nigeria has yet to achieve.
