1993 — Nigeria's Stolen Election

On June 12, 1993, millions of Nigerians voted in what became the freest and fairest election in the country's history. The voting itself was a national moment, as people across Nigeria took part in choosing their future through the ballot, in an exercise widely remembered for how openly and fairly it was conducted.

When it looked like Moshood Abiola had won, the military government annulled the results, and Nigeria plunged into crisis. The annulment could not erase the day, however. Today, June 12 is Nigeria's Democracy Day, a national holiday honoring the election that was stolen and the democratic promise Nigerians refused to forget.