Editing Ibrahim Babangida (section)

===Botched transition to civilian rule===
In 1989 Babangida legalized the formation of political parties, and after a census was carried out in November 1991, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on January 24, 1992 that both legislative elections to a bicameral National Assembly and a presidential election would be held that year.

Babangida banned all political parties and formed two political parties by himself, namely the SDP (Social Democratic Party) and NRC (National Republican Convention) and urged all Nigerians to join either of the parties, which the Late Chief Ajibola Ige famously referred to as "two leper hands." The two-party state had been a recommendation of the 17-member Political Bureau.

The legislative elections went ahead as planned, with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democratic_Party_%28Nigeria%29 Social Democratic Party] (SDP) winning majorities in both houses of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Nigeria National Assembly], but on August 7, 1992, the INEC annulled the first round of presidential primaries, alleging widespread irregularities. January 4, 1993 saw the announcement by Babangida of a National Defense and Security Council, of which Babangida himself was to be President, while in April 1993 the SDP nominated [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moshood_Kashimawo_Olawale_Abiola Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola] (MKO) as its presidential candidate, with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Republican_Convention National Republican Convention] (NRC) choosing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashir_Tofa Bashir Tofa] to run for the same position. On June 12, 1993, presidential elections were finally held, but the results were held back although it was announced in some states that Abiola had in fact won 19 of the 30 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_Nigeria states], and therefore the presidency.

Rather than allow the announcement of the results to proceed, Babangida decided to annul the elections. Babangida then issued a decree banning the presidential candidates of both the NRC and the SDP from running in new presidential elections that he planned to have held. Widespread acts of civil disobedience began to occur, particularly in the Southwest region from which Abiola hailed, resulting in the killings. On July 6, 1993, the NDSC issued an ultimatum to the SDP and NRC to join an interim government or face yet another round of elections, and Babangida then announced that the interim government would be inaugurated on August 27, 1993. On August 26, amidst a new round of strikes and protests that had brought all economic activity in the country to a halt, Babangida declared that he was stepping aside as head of the military regime, and handing over the reins of government to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shonekan Ernest Shonekan]. Within 3 months of the handover, General [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sani_Abacha Sani Abacha] seized control of the government while Babangida was on a visit to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt Egypt].