Comrade Daniel Onjeh, the APC candidate in the 2016 Benue South senatorial rerun election against former Senate President David Mark, has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of former military ruler General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) over the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
In a statement on Monday, February 24, Onjeh condemned IBB’s recently launched autobiography, A Journey in Service, calling it a desperate attempt to rewrite history and evade accountability for what he described as one of Nigeria’s greatest democratic betrayals.
He dismissed Babangida’s half-hearted apology, arguing that the former military leader conveniently shifted blame onto deceased figures who are no longer alive to challenge his version of events.
“IBB had an opportunity to show genuine remorse and take responsibility for the damage he inflicted on Nigeria’s democracy, but instead, he chose to insult our collective intelligence.
“He dribbled around the truth, just like his nickname ‘Maradona’ suggests. Nigerians will not be deceived again,” Onjeh declared.
The former Chairman of the Governing Board of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA) compared Babangida’s book to The Dead Stay Dumb, a James Hadley Chase novel, accusing him of attempting to manipulate history through selective storytelling.
He argued that IBB’s account absolves himself while pinning the blame on late figures such as Chief MKO Abiola, General Sani Abacha, Prince Arthur Nzeribe, Justice Bassey Ikpeme, and Prof. Humphrey Nwosu.
Onjeh expressed outrage that top dignitaries attended Babangida’s book launch and donated to an “IBB Presidential Library” while public libraries, schools, and other essential institutions remain in a state of neglect.
“What exactly is IBB preserving? A legacy of deception, betrayal, and stolen mandates? It is a slap in the face of democracy-loving Nigerians that such a man still enjoys reverence,” he fumed.
The former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) insisted that the annulment of the June 12 election was not just an abuse of power but an outright act of treason.
He maintained that IBB and his co-conspirators must be held accountable for subverting the will of millions of Nigerians who voted for MKO Abiola in what remains Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
His words: “No statute of limitations should shield IBB and his cronies from justice. If we are serious about democracy, then actions must have consequences.
“The global community must also act by sanctioning IBB and freezing any ill-gotten assets stashed abroad. A coup against democracy must never go unpunished.”
Onjeh, who also ran as the APC senatorial candidate for Benue South in 2023, demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of IBB and his accomplices for treason against the Nigerian people.
He also called for full compensation for victims of the June 12 struggle, including families of those who lost their lives, were unlawfully imprisoned, or suffered damages and official recognition of MKO Abiola as a former President of Nigeria.
While President Muhammadu Buhari awarded Abiola the GCFR title and declared June 12 as Democracy Day, Onjeh insists that more must be done.
He said Abiola must be officially recognized as a former President, and his family should receive all benefits due to past heads of state.
Onjeh also challenged IBB to disclose the fate of the controversial $12.4 billion Gulf Oil Windfall, alleging that Babangida’s regime grossly mismanaged the revenue Nigeria earned during the 1990–1991 Gulf War.
He cited a probe by the Pius Okigbo Panel, which indicted the regime for financial recklessness.
“For decades, Nigerians have demanded answers, but all we get is silence. Where did the money go, and who benefited? Since IBB is suddenly in a confessing mood, he should answer these burning questions,” Onjeh said.
He maintained that no amount of historical revisionism can erase IBB’s culpability.
“History will judge IBB, but so should the law. Nigeria must not be a country where impunity thrives. If we are truly a democratic nation, we must act now.
“Babangida and his accomplices must face the full weight of the law. Anything less would be a betrayal of the ideals that June 12 represents,” he declared.
