Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has announced his decision to legally challenge what he describes as his malicious detention and prosecution under the regime of former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB).

Falana’s decision comes in response to revelations in IBB’s recently launched book, where the former military leader addressed the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election—widely regarded as Nigeria’s most credible election.

Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’, Falana recounted how IBB ordered his arrest and detention alongside the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, and other pro-democracy campaigners. The group was charged with unlawful assembly and sedition for opposing the annulment.

“We Were Jailed for Publishing the Election Results”

Falana recalled that on June 26, 1993, IBB defended the annulment, citing alleged electoral malpractices, despite overwhelming evidence that the election was free and fair.

He noted that IBB personally signed the decree nullifying the election and dissolved the Presidential Election Tribunal led by Justice Bola Babalakin.

“Now, he wants to give the impression that some forces, without his knowledge, annulled the election. But Babangida himself exercised that power against the interest of Nigerians,” Falana stated.

Following the annulment, the Campaign for Democracy spearheaded nationwide protests, prompting IBB to order the arrest of pro-democracy activists, including Fawehinmi, Ransome-Kuti, and Falana himself.

“We were paraded before a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja, for sedition—simply because we had published the election results,” he said.

Denied bail, Falana and his colleagues were remanded in Kuje Prison under the infamous Decree No. 2.

He said: “The junta foolishly thought jailing us would stop the protests, but they miscalculated.”