TVC Entertainment (TVCe) Managing Director Morayo Afolabi-Brown has criticized President Bola Tinubu and other dignitaries for **laughing during the launch of former military president Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, A Journey in Service **.
The book, which was unveiled on Thursday, sparked controversy after Babangida publicly admitted for the first time that the late Moshood Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election—an election he annulled.
“Babangida Has a Lot of Questions to Answer” – Morayo Afolabi-Brown
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Morayo, who also hosts Your View on TVC, expressed her anger over how attendees appeared to make light of Babangida’s role in Nigeria’s political history, particularly the annulment of an election often described as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.
She condemned Babangida for the trauma he caused her family and the Abiola family, insisting that he must be held accountable.
“The last 48 hours have been quite interesting. Babangida has a lot of questions to answer, and I cannot wait to read that book,” she wrote.
“My father warned Nigerians about this man. My father did everything in his power to get this man to pay for his sins, but nothing happened.”
“My Father Fled Into Exile Because of Babangida”
Morayo recounted her father’s relentless fight against Babangida’s military regime, which led to:
- Multiple imprisonments for speaking out.
- Forced exile to the U.S. via Cotonou, after years of persecution.
- A stroke caused by the stress of his activism, from which he never recovered.
She described Babangida’s reign as a “fearless hurricane, bulldozing all that was in his path”, adding that many critics of his rule were murdered.
“Our Families Were Ripped Apart” – Close Ties to the Abiola Family
Morayo also shared her connection to the late MKO Abiola and his wife, Kudirat, emphasizing their family’s devastation after the annulment.
“I saw how you all laughed at the book launch. I’m sorry, nothing there seemed comical to me.”
“Growing up with MKO Abiola, his wife Kudirat, and their children, and seeing how both our families were ripped apart alongside many others in the wake of Babangida’s annulment, is a trauma I can never get past.”
She also recalled how the once joyful Abiola household was thrown into mourning when Kudirat was assassinated in 1996.
“Tinubu, You Know the Struggles—Yet You Laugh?”
Expressing deep disappointment in President Bola Tinubu, Morayo questioned why he attended the book launch and appeared to laugh alongside Babangida.
“You, Mr. President, supported my father till he died. You know the pains and the struggles, yet you laugh at the table of OUR tormentor?”
IBB’s Book Launch Attended by Prominent Figures
The book launch at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja was attended by:
- Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan.
While Babangida’s admission about the June 12 election has reignited national debates, Morayo’s reaction underscores the lingering pain felt by many who suffered during his regime.
