Ibrahim Babangida, a former military Head of State, has expressed his disappointment in Nigerian politicians for their inability to harness the gains of the June 12 election, as reported by Dailynewscraft.In a statement released by his media aide, Kassim Afegbua, on Sunday, June 11, Babangida remarked, “The gains of the June 12, 1993 presidential election have not been fully utilized by political leaders in subsequent elections in Nigeria.”He emphasized that the June 12 election was widely recognized as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history. However, politicians have disregarded its significance, failing to uphold the principles of credible elections.Babangida highlighted the essence of the June 12 election, where Nigerians participated en masse to choose their leaders, disregarding cultural, traditional, and religious differences. He expressed concern over the prevalence of thuggery and excessive litigations in Nigerian politics, issues that should have been addressed through transparent elections.The former head of state pointed out that June 12 should inspire greater voter endorsement of democracy and elections. However, voter turnout has been declining in recent elections, leading to a growing sense of voter apathy. He stressed the importance of taking measures to ensure mass participation in elections.Babangida acknowledged the progress made through recent electoral reforms but emphasized that it is an ongoing process. He urged current leaders to invest their time, energy, and resources to deepen democracy and uphold democratic ideals, recognizing that there is still much work to be done.