A karon farko, tsohon shugaban mulkin sojin Najeriya, Janar Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida ya amince cewa Cif Mashood Bashorun Abiola, ɗantakarar shugabancin Najeriya a ƙarƙashin jam’iyyar SDP a 1993 ne ya ci zaɓen da aka soke.
Janar Babangida wanda ya bayyana hakan a cikin littafinsa da ya rubuta wanda kuma aka ƙaddamar a Abuja.
Littafin mai suna ” A Journey in Service” wanda tsohon mataimakin shugaban Najeriya, Farfesa Yemi Osinbajo ya yi bitarsa, ya ce Cif Abiola na jam’iyyar SDP ne ya samu nasara kan Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa na jam’iyyar NRC .
“Lallai Mashood Abiola shi ne ya lashe zaɓen shugaban ƙasa a 1993 bayan da ya samu ƙuri’u fiye da miliyan takwas inda ya samu nasara a kan Bashir Othman Tofa na jam’iyyar NRC mai ƙuri’a fiye da miliyan biyar.” In ji Janar Babangida a cikin littafin da ya rubuta da kansa.
A jawabin godiya, tsohon shugaban ya ƙara haske cewa rushe zaɓen na 1993 shi ne wani abun da yake da-na-sanin yin sa a rayuwarsa.
“Na ɗauki dukkan alhakin abin da ya faru a matsayina na shugaban ƙasar Najeriya a lokacin da wannan abun ya faru.” In ji Ibrahim Babangida
Me ya faru a ranar 12 ga Yunin 1993?
A ranar 12 ga wata Yunin 1993, ɗan takarar SDP Abiola ya fafata da ɗan takarar NRC Bashir Tofa a zaɓen shugaban ƙasa. Abokin takarar Abiola shi ne Baba Gana Kingibe, inda Sylvester Ugoh ya zama mataimakin Tofa.
Duk da cewa masu sharhi na ganin zaɓen na 12 ga Yuni ya fi kowanne inganci, sai dai gwamnatin mulkin soja ta Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida ta soke shi bisa zargin maguɗi.
Matakin ya jawo ce-ce-ku-ce kuma daga baya Babangida ya sauka daga mulki a 1993. Ernest Shonekan, wanda ɗan garinsu Abiola ne, ya zama shugaban ƙasa na riƙo.
A ranar 11 ga Yunin 1994, Abiola ya ayyana kan sa a matsayin shugaban ƙasa a Legas, jihar da ke kudu maso yammacin ƙasar. Matakin nasa ya sa gwamnatin Sani Abacha ta soja ta zarge shi da cin amanar ƙasa kuma aka kama shi a ranar 23 ga Yunin 1994.
An tsare Abiola tsawon shekara huɗu, har ma wasu rahotanni na cewa ban da Ƙur’ani da Bibble masu tsarki ba shi da wata hanyar samun wasu bayanai.
Abiola ya rasu ranar 7 ga watan Yulin 1998, ranar da ya kamata a sake shi daga gidan yari.