SHOCKING CONFESSION! ! Tinubu Says They Were Barred from Hotel After Demanding Babangida Swear Them In As Senators
In a stunning revelation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has recounted a dramatic incident from his past, shedding light on a tense confrontation with former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida. Speaking at a private event in Abuja on Friday, Tinubu claimed that he and fellow pro- democracy activists were locked out of their hotel rooms after he boldly challenged Babangida to formally inaugurate them as senators during Nigeria’ s turbulent transition to civilian rule in the early 1990s.
Tinubu, who was a prominent figure in the struggle against military dictatorship, alleged that the incident occurred during a period of political upheaval following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. He explained that he and other activists had been elected as senators under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the short- lived Third Republic. However, Babangida’ s regime delayed their inauguration, prompting Tinubu to confront the military leader directly.
” I told Babangida to stop playing games with us and inaugurate us as senators. We were tired of the delays and excuses, ” Tinubu recounted to a captivated audience. ” But that night, we returned to our hotel and found the doors locked. They shut us out— literally. ” He added that the group was forced to spend the night outside, a move he described as an attempt to intimidate them into submission.
The revelation has sparked reactions across Nigeria, with many hailing Tinubu’ s courage while others question the timing of the disclosure. Political analyst Dr. Funmi Adebayo noted that the story underscores Tinubu’ s long history of defiance against authoritarianism. ” This is a glimpse into the tenacity that defined his early political career, ” she said.
Tinubu’ s account also reignites memories of the Third Republic’ s collapse, a period marked by Babangida’ s controversial decision to annul the 1993 election widely believed to have been won by Chief Moshood Abiola. The aftermath saw widespread protests and the eventual exile of figures like Tinubu, who fled Nigeria in 1994 under threats from the military junta.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Tinubu said it strengthened his resolve. ” They thought locking us out would break us, but it only fueled our fight for democracy, ” he declared. The presidency has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, but the story has already set social media abuzz, with Nigerians debating its implications for Tinubu’ s legacy as a democratic crusader turned president.
