Nigeria, Feb. 23 -- Thirty-two years after leaving power, President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has assumed full responsibility for the ANNULMENT of Chief MKO Abiola's presidential election of June 12, 1993, and its attendant consequences.

He has explained the circumstances under which it happened and has not only acknowledged that Abiola actually won the election but that he was also unfairly robbed of his MANDATE when he and his military regime annuled it.

What he didn't say was that if he had not annulled the election, those who wanted it aborted would have killed him, key members of his government, MKO Abiola, MKO's family and everyone else who opposed them, and his government would have been toppled in a very violent and bloody coup...