By Banji Ayoola
AT long last, the Federal Government has declared June 12, the day the freest and fairest ever Presidential election held in Nigeria, as the Nation\’s Democracy Day.
It also declared posthumous award of the country\’s highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, on the departed philanthropist multimillionaire, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, who believably won the election, which was annulled by the military junta of Gen Ibrahim Babangida, retired.
Besides, it conferred the nation\’s second highest national honour of Grand Commander of Nigeria, GCON, on Abiola\’s running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and foremost legal icon and human rights activist, the departed Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, SAN.
The declaration, a masterstroke, by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, followed 25 years of popular clamour, championed by heroes and heroines of the country\’s tortuous and bloody pro-democracy struggles, that spontaneously trailed the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Abiola was feared poisoned in detention for valiantly refusing to let go of his mandate, and choosing instead to sacrifice his life, wealth, comfort and all for the restoration of democratic governance in Nigeria, for liberty, freedom and egalitarianism, in place of the protracted military dictatorship that had messed up the country, since it shot itself into power in 1966. He died in detention, while insisting on the restoration of his mandate, his declaration as winner of the election and swearing in as Nigeria\’s democratically elected President.
Apart from Abiola, the foremost gallant hero and martyr of and for Democracy, the pro democracy struggles claimed the lives of numerous other activists who were in the front line of the struggle to revalidate the June 12 victory. They included his wife, Kudirat, Chief Alfred Rewane and several others, who were bombed and assassinated by agents of anti democracy forces.
Besides, numerous other activists, including Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, patriots who operated under the banner of the National Democratic Coalition such as Fawehinmi, departed Afenifere leader, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, his equally departed successor, Chief Abraham Aderibigbe Adesanya, incumbent leader Chief Reuben Fasoranti, departed former Ondo State Governor, Chief Adebayo Adefararati, Chief Segun Adegoke, Chief Samuel Oluyemisi Falae, Chief Olu Adebanjo, Chief Frank Kokorie, Prof Bekololari Ransome-Kuti, Mr Femi Falana SAN, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Baba Omojola, Chief Olanihun Ajayi, Gen Alani Akinrinade, Navy Commodore Ndubuisi Kanu, Navy Commodore Dan Suleiman, Chief Ayo Opadokun, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, Chief Korede Duyile, Chief Femi Aluko, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and numerous others, were persecuted.
Many of the pro-democracy activists fled into exile, like Soyinka and Tinubu to arrange the external global diplomatic flank of the battle, and in the process set up and coordinate Radio Kudirat, Freedom Radio as a very powerful information dissemination organ of the struggles; while those of them who stayed put at home in Nigeria to continue with the struggles, either had themselves or their property bombed or were maimed. arrested or detained. There were bomb explosions here and there targeted at those clamouring for the restoration of Abiola\’s mandate.
It was indeed a bloody reign of terror for Nigerians particularly under the military junta headed by the departed Gen Sani Abacha. But eventually, the doggedness, commitment and dedication of the prodemocracy activists, to the struggle despite persecution and killings, maimimg, bombing and bloodshed, their nonretreating spirit to a noble struggle, gave the military junta a bloody nose, and forced it to disengage from power, and handed over to a civilian government, headed by one of their own, Obasanjo, now apolitician, in 1999. Thus began the present democratic dispensation.
Until Wednesday, May 29 had been celebrated yearly as Nigeria\’s Democracy Day, marking the day a new civilian government, headed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, himself a retired general, indeed an ex military Head of State, kinsman of Abiola, took over power from the military dictatorship headed by retired Gen Abubakar Abdulsalami.
Making the announcement in a statement personally signed by him, and distributed to reporters in Abuja, Buhari said that he reached the decisions after due consultations, and that the investiture would take place on June 12.
According to the statement: “For the past 18 years, Nigerians have been celebrating May 29, as Democracy Day. That was the date when, for the second time in our history, an elected civilian administration took over from a military government. The first time this happened was on October 21, 1979.
“But in the view of Nigerians, as shared by this administration, June 12, 1993 was far more symbolic of democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29 or even the October 1.
“June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our independence.
“The fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military government does not distract from the democratic credentials of that process.
“Accordingly, after due consultations, the Federal Government has decided that henceforth, June 12 will be celebrated as Democracy Day.
“Therefore, the government has decided to award posthumously the highest honour of the land, GCFR, to the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 cancelled elections.
“His running mate as Vice President, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, is also to be invested with a GCON.
“Furthermore, the tireless fighter for human rights and the actualisation of the June 12 elections and indeed for democracy in general, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, is to be awarded the GCON.
“The investiture will take place on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, a date which in future years will replace May 29 as a National Public Holiday in celebration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day.”
Reactions
Spontaneously, Nigerians from far and near reacted, hailing the decisions as soothing, proper and a right step towards genuine national healing, reconciliation, rebirth and redirection for real progress and development.
While commending the Federal Government for the decisions which it had clamoured for years after the wrong annulment, arrow head of the pro democracy struggle and foremost pan Yoruba socio-cultural and political group, Afenife urged the Federal Government to go a step further by recognising the Abiola as a former elected President of Nigeria.
Speaking through its spokesman, Mr Yinka Odumakin, it said that government should demonstrate that its decision was not a political gimmick, by ensuring that “the spirit of June 12 prevails” in the forthcoming elections.
According to him, “Though the GCON is the highest honour in the land, we want Abiola to be formally recognised as a former elected President of Nigeria.
“It is true that this decision is coming on the heels of another election in February 2019, the true test to demonstrate this is not a gimmick is to allow the spirit of June 12 to prevail in February in terms of free and fair elections where people can freely elect their leaders like it happened on June 12.”
On whether the decision was just a calculation meant to buy popular political support, Odumakin noted, “That’s why I said another election season is here and promises and decisions made in an election year are subject to different interpretations, but, like I said, we accept it.”
In his reaction, a former Presidential candidate, ex Secretary to the Federal Government, Afenifere chieftain and National Chairman of Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief Olu Falae, said that the decision was “belated but welcome.”
On his own, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo said: “It is a welcome development. We have always told them that, (and) he now realises this. We have told them that without June 12 there is no Democracy Day. June 12 is Democracy Day, but May 29 is Civilian Day. I want to urge him to restructure Nigeria because all he is doing are palliatives.”
Also, a former Secretary-General of Afenifere, Senator Femi Okurounmu, described the decisions as highly commendable, adding that they had put former President Olusegun Obasanjo to shame.
Noting that all pleas to Obasanjo to honour MKO Abiola and declare June 12 a public holiday during his eight-year tenure were ignored, he, however, warned the Yoruba people against being carried away by Buhari’s announcement considering its timing, which is barely eight months to the Presidential election.
His words: “It is a commendable act, and we appreciate him for that. Recognising the late MKO as the real winner of that election is long overdue. For us, June 12 had always been the authentic Democracy Day. May 29 was an insult to the Yoruba people. It was a mockery of the Yoruba.
“We appreciate him for honouring Abiola but we must not fall into any trap. Buhari is desperate for Yoruba votes. He knows he has lost the South-West and that is why he is doing this. This was how he lured us in 2015 with the help of Bola Tinubu. We must not fall a second time.
Also, in a statement signed on Wednesday night by the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, the state said, “We are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for this recognition of an illustrious son of Ogun State and an icon of our democratic struggle, Chief MKO Abiola.
“President Buhari has shown with this action that he is a man that believes in justice and giving to every person his or her dues.
“Although this posthumous award may appear to some people to have come late, we thank the President. We urge all lovers of democracy and goodwill to continue to support the ideals for which Chief MKO Abiola lived and died for.”
In her own, Abiola\’s daughter, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, an activist, said: ’I am very satisfied with this news, and I can’t explain how happy I am. This has just validated the victory of my father. He didn’t just fight for democracy alone; he fought for Nigeria. May 29 was never the Democracy Day; it’s June 12. And President Buhari has just shown that he is an honourable man. This development has brought to life the significance of June 12. I am really appreciative of him for honouring my father because this is the kind of recognition he truly deserves.”
Also, Fawehinmi\’s son, Mohammed, said: “It is a welcome development. This is what we have been waiting for over the years. Good Nigerians have made several calls for Chief M K O Abiola to be recognised as a Nigerian President. For this government to have done this, it is a welcome gesture.
\”It is a good news that M K O Abiola is going to be awarded GCFR honour and Babagana Kingibe to be awarded GCON, It is clear that Abiola was elected the president of this country, the mere fact that he was not sworn in does not mean he was not elected. This has vindicated Abiola.
“For my father’s honour, we thank the government for that. We know he deserved it. We are happy for that.”
Also, a former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said: ‘’That is very good. It is a positive development, and every right-thinking democrat should support that. The timing may be wrong, but it is a good development that should be hailed.”
In his own reaction, Director-General of Abiola’s Hope 93 Campaign Organisation, Senator Jonathan Zwingina, said:
\”I commend the declaration even though it came a bit late, but better late than never. Some of us had consistently fought for the date to be recognised in history on account of the centralisation of that date to our nation’s democracy.
\”It is a befitting recognition, and I also commend the fact that the President personally signed the press statement which is the first time it has been done.\”
Also, a former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, commended the President’s action saying “recognising June 12 as a Democracy Day, is proper. In the context of Nigeria, June 12 signifies Democracy Day in the first place because it was a day that Nigerians set aside their differences and united the country for progress.”
On his own, Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Aare Gani Adams said Buhari should go a step further to restructure the country into a balanced federation, a popular clamour just as the recognition of June 12 and revalidation of Abiola\’s election.
His words: “The decision of Mr. President to honour Chief MKO Abiola and Chief Gani Fawehinmi is a good gift given to Nigerians in the month of Ramadan.
\”The President has showed us the spirit of honesty and truth and with this development; the President has solved 90 per cent of the problems of Nigeria. What will endear the President to progressive minded people in Nigeria is for him to restructure Nigeria; he does this, his name will be written in gold and the international community will respect him.
\”This decision is shock to all of us. His decision to honour Gani Fawehinmi, who mentored me in activism, is a step in the right direction. I thank Mr. President for this decision, it is a welcome development but we expect him to restructure Nigeria before the 2019 general elections.”
Also, a former General Secretary of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Union, NUPENG, Chief Frank Kokori, said: “This is my happiest day because we have been fighting for it for many years.
\”We thought Obasanjo would have done it but he did not do it. May 29 is a charade. I am happy that this country is beginning to recognise the contributions of the heroes of democracy.
\”My union was the arrowhead of the struggle. I appreciate that Gani Fewehimi who was not a politician was recognised. This shows that nobody can play God. God is God. That is what we are seeing now. I am so surprised and happy that this is coming from a man like Buhari. We in the civil society appreciate him.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, however, said the national honour to be conferred on Abiola by Buhari smacked of hypocrisy and political desperation ahead of the 2019 presidential election.
In his own, Abiola\’s former personal assistant, Lisa Olu Akerele, described the honour done the late politician as “a welcome development long overdue.”
According to him: “Mr Kola Abiola, myself and other well-meaning individuals have been campaigning underground for years for this honour to be done.
“The good thing is that it has taken a former soldier like President Muhammadu Buhari to right the wrong done by a misguided soldier like Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.”
In its reaction, Nigeria\’s main opposition party, the People\’s Democratic Party, PDP said that President Buhari’s action merely sought to use the name and person of Abiola to gain a political capital and was not out of genuine reverence and recognition for him.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the party recalled that Buhari, who was serving in the military junta of Gen Sani Abacha during the travails of Abiola, did not associate either by words or actions with the late winner of June 12 election.
The party further stated that history did not record President Buhari as sympathetic to the Abiola’s family when his wife, Kudirat, was gruesomely murdered by the agents of a government which Buhari served.
The statement said: “It is, therefore, a sign of political desperation for President Buhari to seek to use Chief Abiola’s name as a tool to sway Nigerians in less than 12 months to an election where he (President Buhari) is seeking a second term.
“It is also shocking that the respectable grave of Abiola can be dishonoured by granting a posthumous award on him along with someone who denounced the June 12 mandate and preferred the company of his (Abiola’s) traducers.
“Even those who now masquerade as change agents were opposed to the naming of the University of Lagos after Chief Abiola.
“If President Buhari genuinely wants to honour Chief Abiola, he should do so by ending all anti-democratic proclivities of his administration and allowing for the rule of law and respect for our constitution.
“The PDP, therefore, urges President Buhari to shed his desperate actions in his quest to win the 2019 presidential election as Nigerians can no longer be deceived by such antics.”
PHOTO: Chief MKO Abiola
