The Presidential Election of 12 June 1993

On 12 June 1993 Nigeria held a presidential election as the final step of General Ibrahim Babangida's transition to civilian rule. Only the two parties created by the government in 1989, the Social Democratic Party and the National Republican Convention, were allowed to take part. According to Wikipedia, most observers considered it the fairest election in Nigeria's history, and early returns showed a decisive victory for M. K. O. Abiola.

On 23 June 1993 Babangida annulled the election, citing pending lawsuits. More than 100 people were killed in the riots that followed.

The election was the climax of the long transition programme of General Ibrahim Babangida, who had promised to return Nigeria to civilian rule first by 1990 and then by January 1993. In 1989 the government created two parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC), and allowed no others; earlier rounds of presidential primaries were cancelled and their candidates disqualified (Wikipedia's history of Nigeria).

According to Wikipedia's article on him, M. K. O. Abiola announced his candidacy in February 1993 and won the SDP primaries in Jos in March, narrowly defeating Baba Gana Kingibe, who became his running mate. His campaign slogans included "Farewell to poverty".

Babangida handed power in August 1993 to an interim government under Ernest Shonekan, which was overthrown later that year by General Sani Abacha. Abiola was later imprisoned and died in custody (Wikipedia).

Abiola defeated Bashir Tofa of the NRC. According to Wikipedia, he won in more than two-thirds of the states, in the capital, Abuja, and even in Tofa's home state of Kano; as a Muslim from the south, he drew support across regional and religious lines. By the time of his death in 1998, Wikipedia notes, Abiola had become an unexpected symbol of democracy, and in 2018 Democracy Day was moved to 12 June in his honour.