Ogun and the echoes of June 12

The 18th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll organised by the Ogun State Government brings to the fore the significance of the historic election in the history of Nigeria’s democrcary writes FRANCIS FALOLA

During the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Nigerians rose in unison, irrespective of tribe, race or religion and voted for the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Moshood Abiola. The election, which was adjudged the freest and fairest in the history of the country, was however annulled to the bewilderment of all Nigerians by the military regime of the then Head of State, Gen, Ibrahim Babangida (retd.). Abiola, the winner of the election, who was a prominent son of Ogun State, lost his life in a bid to get back the mandate freely given by Nigerians. However, 18 years after the annulment, echoes of June 12 reverberated as political activists across the country gathered at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital to mark the anniversary in a two- day event that took place on June 12 and June 13.

Though the June 12, 1993 election can never be wished away in the history of the nation, the fact remains that some of those who benefitted from the event to assume positions of authority have been making deliberate efforts, either overtly or covertly at downplaying the essence of June 12. In a state ruled in the past eight years by the Peoples Democratic Party under the leadership of the immediate past governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the inauguration of a new administration led by Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has injected a new life to the echoes of June 12 in Ogun State.

Amosun declared Monday June 13 as a public holiday in the state and to mark the 18th anniversary of June 12 was a public lecture delivered by Dr. Sola Olorunyomi of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan titled: “How Rivers Run Dry…Must Ogun? together with a stage play and democracy walk and rally.

Delivering the lecture at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Olorunyomi, described how civilisations die off as the central theme of the discussion in the lecture. He illustrated with the knowledge of industry and the political strategy of foisting amnesia on the broad citizenry of Nigeria on the symbolism of May 29 and June 12, while concluding with the increasing call for regional collaboration and integration.

Olorunyomi faulted the choice of May 29 as Democracy Day as against June 12. He described the choice of May 29 as too political. He said its institution by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration caused much rancour and debate.

“This itself makes the day special in a particular way, for Nigerians hardly ever debate the appropriateness of a holiday, when May 29 was set aside for celebrating our newfound, or to use that expression that has been clichéd to death, our nascent democracy, many people felt that the whole idea was a subterfuge as well as an insult. Their misgivings and disaffections had to do with events in our recent history; one, the electoral malpractices that deeply marred the 1999 elections and, two, the stubborn reluctance, most exampled in Obasanjo and quite noticeable in certain elements of the political class, to come to terms with the relevance and importance of June 12, a day that many Nigerians, especially in the South West, have come to imbue with a political significance that even surpasses October,” Olorunyomi stated.

He observed that with the conduct of the 2011 general elections, it appeared that the sphere of June 12 was expanding, but noted that the significance was not derived much from free and fair electoral date but the insistence of the people that votes must count.

A lecturer at the Lagos State University, Dr. Abubakar Momoh, who also spoke on the occasion, recalled the annulment and significance of the poll. He described June 12 as the epitome of the resolve of Nigerians to jettison sectarian interest in order to rid the nation of common foes – military dictatorship.

Momoh said the attendant mass struggle to actualise June 12 brought out the fact that power resides not only in Aso Rock but also on the streets of Nigeria, where spirited mass protests against the annulment led to the collapse of dictatorship.

He went down memory lane and recalled the several feats of some of the heroes and heroines of June 12. Speaking on one of the principals of the June 12 struggles, the late political activist, Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti, Momoh said he provided the needed leadership and direction that opened the eyes of the pro – democracy fighters to the fact that, “alternative power to confront evil and injustice lies in the streets.”

He expressed joy that the approach worked as the military dictator collapsed in the face of the public outcry and resentment that followed the annulment. Momoh noted the absence of a political class in Nigeria.

According to him, the political class as it exists in more advanced democracy are people-driven with ideology and coherence in thought and philosophy which guide how they shape the course of governance for the benefit of the people.

He, however, regretted that the absence of a political class with clear-cut vision for the country was the reason why the Nigerian government had no answer to the “50 million unemployed Nigerians” and “7.2 million out of school children” since 2006.

Members of the late Abiola’s family, who were at the anniversary lecture seized the occasion to lament their neglect by the past administration in the state.

The leader of the family, who is the younger brother of the late business mogul, Alhaji Mubashiru Abiola, moved some of the dignitaries at the event close to tears while narrating the ordeals of the family. He lamented that some Nigerians rose to the position of authorities riding on the MKO struggle but regretted the abandonment of the family by some of those beneficiaries.

Mubashiru, specifically, lamented that the immediate past government in the state neglected the Abiola family, while urging the state governor not to forget the family.

“We fasted for eight years under Governor Gbenga Daniel. We hope you will treat us well like Governor Olusegun Osoba did because he fended for the family. We never had it so bad since our breadwinner died. It was so bad. I plead that the current government in the state should not only remember the Abiola family but the entire people of the state who suffered under the previous administration,’’ he stated.

Mubashiru, however, expressed joy that in spite of the Abiolas’ travail, the family remained united and not destabilised.

One of the sons of late Abiola, Lekan, also corroborated Mubashiru’s claims by saying the family had been neglected after the Chief Olusegun Osoba’s administration in the state.

Lekan who is the daughter of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, another martyr of the June 12 struggle, however, said the family could now heave a sigh of relief with the emergence of the Action Congress of Nigeria-led administration in the state.

Lekan, a former House of Representatives candidate on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change, however, said not only Abiola’s family was neglected within the period but the entire people of the state,

Buttressing his claims, he cited a particular area in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state where students found it difficult to go to school because of the terrible situation of roads in the area.

He said the students and the people of the area had to take the risk of crossing a wooden-bridge to get to school. He commended the Ogun State Governor for his determination to develop the state, while also appealing to the governor to address the problem of decongestion in some parts of the state.

One of the wives of the late politician, Dr. Doyin Abiola, at the occasion, lauded the steps taken so far by the ACN-led administration in the state.

Doyin, a former managing director of the defunct Concord Press, said, “The democracy we are enjoying was the one MKO Abiola sacrificed his life for.”

A pro-democracy activist and former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who was also in Abeokuta to mark the 18th anniversary of June 12, said the nation could not forget June 12 and canvassed that the day be declared Democracy Day instead of May 29.

He maintained that the opportunity offered by June 12 was thwarted by some unpatriotic Nigerians. Musa described June 12 as a lost opportunity. He added that if MKO had been allowed to rule Nigeria , the country would have been better in terms of development.

He said, “I quite agree that June 12 should be our Democracy Day because it was the day democracy took off in Nigeria , but because of the decision of some unpatriotic persons in control of government, it never happened.

“But we cannot forget June 12. We experienced free, fair and transparent election for the first time; it was on June 12 we voted for unity and progress; it was on June 12 Nigerians had for the first time, a civilian leader who died for Nigeria. We cannot forget June 12.”

Earlier the state governor, his wife, Funsho, his deputy, Segun Adesegun, and others had walked through major streets of Abeokuta, the state capital.

Amosun, who led the team, took off from the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, and moved through Sapon, Itoku, Oja-Agbo (the family house of Abiola), Ago-Ika, Totoro, Ita-Eko to Oke-Ilewo and finally arrived the stadium; the venue of the rally.