Abacha’s daughter reacted to Ibrahim Babangida’s claims about the June 12 election annulment with a cryptic post, calling someone a "Weakling." Babangida, in his memoir, blamed Abacha for the annulment, sparking debates on Nigeria’s political history.
Gumsu Abacha, daughter of the late military ruler Sani Abacha, has ignited debate with a cryptic social media post following recent claims by former Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) about the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
On Friday, Gumsu took to X (formerly Twitter) with a single-word post: "Weakling." While she did not specify who the message was directed at, the timing of her post—coming just after the launch of Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service—has fueled speculation that it was a response to IBB’s account of the controversial election annulment.
In his newly released memoir, Babangida described the annulment of the June 12 election as an unfortunate “accident of history.” He claimed he was unaware of the cancellation at the time it was announced and later discovered that opposition to the election was led by Abacha, who was then the chief of defense staff. According to Babangida, Abacha worked behind the scenes to ensure that the results were never upheld. Babangida also suggested that Abiola, the presumed winner of the election, had been misled into believing that the outcome would be reinstated once his regime was ousted. Instead, Abiola was later arrested and detained by Abacha’s government after declaring himself president.
Gumsu’s post has since drawn mixed reactions, with many interpreting it as a veiled attack on Babangida for shifting blame onto her father, who is no longer alive to defend himself. Some users supported her, accusing IBB of rewriting history, while others questioned her family’s role in one of Nigeria’s most controversial political crises.
