By Banji Ayoola
A former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has raised an alarm over alleged plot by the powerful cabal in the Presidency to frustrate the presidential ambition of the All Progressives Congress, APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as that of the late sage and first Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the Second Republic; and the late multimillionaire Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, in the Third Republic.
Fayose raised the alarm in an open letter to Tinubu on Monday, which he personally signed.
Awolowo, the leader of opposition, contested the presidential election in Second Republic under the banner of the former Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, with other presidential candidates including Alhaji Shehu Shagari of the then National Party of Nigeria, NPN; the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe of the then National People’s Party; Alhaji Adamu Waziri of Great Nigeria People’s Party, GNPP; and the late Alhaji Aminu Kano of the then People’s Redemption Party, PRP.
Notably, Awolowo who won the constitutional two-thirds majority of the then 19 states, and was close to victory, was denied victory through the famous twelve two thirds legal battle led by the late Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide. Eventually, Awolowo was frustrated. Eventually, Shagari was declared winner of that election by the defunt Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO.
Similarly, MKO Abiola, who was the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election was denied victory after the result of Nigeria’s freest and fairest election was controversially annulled by the regime of retired Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who is said to be Abiola’s bosom friend.
The cancellation of that election threw Nigeria into a protracted bloody pro democracy struggle during which many prominent activists campaigning for the re-validation of the election and restoration of Abiola’s overwhelming mandate, which cut across the regions, states, religions, ethnic groups and all other social divisions across the country, were killed, while others ran into voluntary exile.
Properties of known activists scattered across the country were bombed with many human casualties including some journalists.
That era was perhaps Nigeria’s darkest hour after the senseless 1967 – 70 civil war which claimed millions of lives of Nigerians from both sides of the fratricide, mainly women, children, and the aged; and left many others maimed for life and many communities devastated.
Those killed in the pro democracy struggle included Abiola’s wife, Kudirat and prominent chieftains of the National Democratic Coalition, the arrowhead of the struggle like Chief Alfred Rewane, a NADECO financier. Others who ran into voluntary exile through the “NADECO route” included the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka; two of the present presidential aspirants including Tinubu himself and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and many others.
Abiola was eventually detained by the military government of Gen Sani Abacha in 1994 for declaring himself President in the famous Epetedo, Lagos Declaration. He died four years later in detention in controversial circumstances.
The coordinated activities of the self exiled activists in various Western countries through strongly worded petitions to the United Nations, other renowned international bodies, and Western powers, sponsored news reports and protests among others, complemented the activities of the pro democracy activists arrow headed by NADECO at home, led by the revered first civilian Governor of the old Ondo State, the late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, and successively by the fiery late Chief Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya,
Through the famous Kudirat Radio, which broadcast to Nigeria from a hidden location in a foreign country, and manned by the self exiled activists, the activists were unrelenting in continuously waging the pro democracy struggle, against the military dictatorship.
Eventually, the unrelenting pro democracy struggle by the fearless activists attracted global attention, weakened the military junta of the late Gen Sani Abacha, and in the end forced the military, now headed by retired Gen Abdusalami Abubakar to abdicate power and hand over to a democratically elected civilian administration headed by Chief Aremu Okikiola Obasanjo in 1999.
Fayose in his open letter said it was obvious that Tinubu was swimming against the tide and he needed to proceed with extreme caution.
The letter read in part, “Going by the handwritings that are now clearly on the wall, if I may consider sir, I see you as one that may be swimming against the political tide of the cabal in your party.
They are equally preparing for your actions and reactions and are fully set to contain same as they did to both Awolowo and Abiola.”
Fayose said unfortunately Tinubu’s empire – which comprised almost all the six South-West governors and ministers as well as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo – had been balkanised as evidenced by Tinubu outburst in Abeokuta last week.
The former governor added that the responses to the Abeokuta outburst by some of Tinubu’s allies in the North and the South were clearly something to worry about.
He added, “Unfortunately, your kingdom has been badly balkanised if what happened in Abeokuta is anything to go by. The book of Proverbs 22 verse 3 reads, ‘Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it but unthinking people will walk into it’.”
Following is copy of Fayose’s letter, which was obtained by The Radiance:
