Judge who annulled June 12 poll dies

 

The judge who annulled the June 12, 1993, presidential election, presumed to be the freest and fairest in the nation’s history, Dahiru Saleh, is dead, TheCable reports.

It was gathered that the retired judge died in Bauchi state and would be buried in his hometown of Azare, still in Bauchi, on the evening of Thursday, May 7.

Until his death, he held the title of “Mutawalle” of Katagum Emirate in Bauchi.

He was the chief judge of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court.

June 12, 1993 election was adjudged as one of the most credible in the history of the country.

The late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, who was the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was leading Bashir Tofa, his National Republican Convention (NRC) rival, by a wide margin but the exercise was cancelled by Saleh ahead of the final announcement of results.

This threw the country into months of chaos as protesters hit the streets, calling on Ibrahim Babangida, then the military president, to step down.

Babaginda had eventually stepped aside, while Ernest Shonekan took over as interim president but Sani Abacha, the late military dictator, overthrew Shonekan less than three months later.

Abiola was later arrested by the regime of Abacha and he died in detention on July 7, 1998.

Chief MKO Abiola, who was recognised as an elected president posthumously by President Muhammadu Buhari.