The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has applauded prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), for his plan to take legal action against former military head of state, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The Islamic human rights group also backed the call for the posthumous declaration of Chief MKO Abiola as Nigeria’s president, following IBB’s recent admission that Abiola won the historic election.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Thursday, February 27, 2025, by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to Akintola, the annulment of the June 12 election, which was widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election, was a coup against the will of the masses.
“MURIC affirms that the annulment of the results of that election was a coup against the General Will, the will of the masses… To that extent, annulment at that stage was criminal abortion, not of a fetus, but of a fully developed homo sapien. It was blue murder,” the statement read.
The group urged all progressive lawyers and human rights activists to support Falana’s legal action to ensure justice is served.
MURIC further advocated for the official declaration of the June 12 election result and recognition of Abiola as Nigeria’s legitimate president, adding that such recognition would accord his family the privileges of an ex-president’s status.
“Although former President Muhammadu Buhari conferred the GCFR honour on Abiola, a formal declaration of the June 12 result as disclosed by IBB is all that we need now to authenticate Abiola’s status in Nigeria’s political history,” the statement added.
