Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Anap Foundation, has said the ghost of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election continues to haunt some individuals.
Peterside made this statement while speaking on Channels TV on Sunday, where he reacted to former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida’s (IBB) recently released autobiography, A Journey In Service.
The book recounts events surrounding the annulment of the June 12 election, which was widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll and was won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In the memoir, Babangida claimed he was in Katsina when the annulment was announced without his knowledge or permission, attributing the decision to forces led by Sani Abacha, his then-chief of defence staff who later became military head of state.
Peterside, who was in his 30s at the time of the annulment, recalled how he coined the term “ghost of June 12” in an article he wrote after the election was voided.
“Interestingly, one of the articles I wrote then—I have never heard anybody use that expression. I sat in my house and wrote it because there was no internet. I called it the ghost of June 12. What I was writing then was that June 12 would be like a ghost and it would haunt some people forever,” he said.
He linked the controversy surrounding Babangida’s autobiography to this idea, stating, “The book launch was the ghost of June 12 haunting some people, and it is still haunting them, unfortunately.”
Peterside warned that Nigeria’s elite risk normalising deceit if they fail to take truth and integrity seriously.
“I’m not here to indict anybody, but I think if we are not careful, the Nigerian elite would normalise deceit or fraud and things like that. They would normalise all sorts of things,” he said.
He further lamented the recent passing of elder statesmen Ayo Adebanjo, the leader of Afenifere, and Edwin Clark, a prominent Niger Delta leader, whom he described as unwavering voices of truth.
“When you hear something from Chief Ayo Adebanjo, you can take it to the bank. When you hear something from Chief Edwin Clark, you can take it to the bank. Two of them passed on very recently,” Peterside said.
He called for a new generation of leaders to uphold truth and integrity, warning that the struggle for Nigeria’s future depends on it.
“We have to make sure that a different group of elders also appear to fill that vacuum—stand for the truth. Tell the same story the same way. Tell the whole truth that would set them free. Because at the end of the day, it is a struggle for the soul of the nation,” he added.
English (US) ·