The June 12, 1993 elections annulment.

On June 12, 1993, Nigeria held a presidential election, the first since the 1983 military coup. Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in a vote deemed free and fair by observers. Despite Abiola’s apparent victory, military ruler Ibrahim Babangida annulled the results, citing irregularities. This sparked protests, political unrest, and a return to military rule under Sani Abacha. The annulment remains a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, with June 12 later declared Democracy Day.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Nigerian_presidential_election)[](https://von.gov.ng/the-significance-of-june-12-1993-presidential-election-in-nigerias-political-history/)