The June 12, 1993 presidential election, allegedly won by late Moshood K. Abiola, has been in the news for the right and wrong reasons.
For some folks, the action of President Muhammadu Buhari to recognise the late Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba Land, was a political investment, which may bring bountiful harvests in 2019. We shall see.
For others, the recognition has finally brought a closure to an ignoble era in our political history. Whichever side of the divide you choose to align with, you may not be wrong. After all, you have the right to hold an opinion.
I will resist the temptation of joining the madding crowd and replay the familiar sentiments. I want to take a lonely walk that may likely earn me some bruises. But this is a risk I am willing to take. Let history judge me.
As soon as President Buhari announced the unexpected, politicians, who always want to be on the right side of history, hurriedly embraced it. On the floor of the Senate, almost every lawmaker wanted to join the conversation. At least, they wanted to be part of history.
Since it is a taboo to talk ill of the dead, everyone paid flowery tributes to Abiola. But for someone like me who was in primary school when the infamous annulment was announced by former military president, Ibrahim Babaginda, my views about June 12 are obviously different. Let me recall what I can remember.
I was in Primary 3 in June, 1993. As a little boy, I remember the madness that followed. I was in my village, Iruekpen. By the way, Iruekpen is a beautiful village, sandwiched in between Edo South and Edo North. Iruekpen is part of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Now, back to the gist. In my village back then, we had people of other ethnic groups, particular Igbo and Yoruba, who co-existed with my people. There were also northerners. Everyone lived happily together until June 12 happened.
As soon as Abiola was arrested by late military dictator, Sani Abacha, all the demons in hell relocated to Nigeria. I don’t know what happened in your village, but in Iruekpen, where I was raised, the tension was unimaginable.
News filtered into town that Nigeria was preparing for another civil war. Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and people from other ethnic groups, were advised to relocate to their states. As a child, I remember how big trucks pulled out people from my village in hundreds.
Many never returned. I remember a particular girl, Nkechi. She was my friend from the East. We were classmates and as a child, I had feelings for her. She left with her parents in 1994-1995 and never returned. Imagine how heartbroken I was as a child.
I also recall that some of our relatives who were in other parts of the country, had to return home. Schools were placed on high alert and life was brutish. As a child, that was my experience.
For people of my generation, this is how we remember June 12. June 12 represents a dark history I don’t want to remember.
I am always at a loss when some people want to impose their own narratives about June 12 on me. Some people want us to remember just the annulment of the June 12 presidential elections. For them, it is haram to dwell on other misgivings that happened before, during and after the election.
Like Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who bolted at the heat of the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War, Abiola did same and left Nigeria. People who took to the streets to protest, were killed in their hundreds by Abacha’s military boys. Journalists and civil rights activists were not spared.
They were jailed and humiliated. Abiola was away while Abacha’s goons descended on helpless Nigerians.
People often forget how Abiola was a beneficiary of a flawed system. Halfway into the primaries of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC) in 1993, Babangida and his goons stepped in and halted the process. Shehu Yar’Adua was set to emerge as SDP’s flagbearer. Likewise Adamu Ciroma. He almost clinched the NRC’s flag. Babaginda’s government disqualified and banned several politicians.
Abiola, who was Babaginda’s friend, joined the race and he emerged victorious at the SDP convention in April 1993. He settled for Babagana Kingibe, as running mate. Bashir Tofa won in the NRC. He opted for a former governor of the Central Bank of Biafra, Dr Sylvester Ugo, as his running mate. When next you are recalling history, always include these parts.
Beyond the aforementioned, there are other aspects of history some folks have deliberately distorted. In 2014, I covered the National Conference initiated by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. While the event lasted, we interviewed hundreds of delegates. I remember an interview we had with Ahmadu Ali, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He re-echoed what had been alleged and openly told journalists how Abiola supported Abacha to sack Ernest Shonekan’s interim government.
He also revealed how Abiola struck a deal with Abacha and ignorantly concluded that power would be handed over to him on a platter.
Hear Ali’s confessions: “It is true that civilians are always encouraging military to go ahead and takeover. The last was that of the late Chief MKO Abiola of blessed memory. He connived with Abacha to seize power and thought that the man would hand over to him.
“It does not work that way because when a military man goes for a coup, he signs away his life. That first cabinet of Abacha, it was Abiola who formed it. He thought they would call him back and when they didn’t call him, he fell out with Abacha.”
Till date, no one has refuted Ali’s claims. In other quarters, it has also been alleged that Abiola played a key role when Buhari was overthrown in 1985 by Babaginda and Abacha. Abiola was a friend of the military. He wined and dined with them.
Yes, he was a successful businessman, but no one should rewrite our history. While we celebrate what June 12 represented, we must not forget who Abiola was before that election. Would Abiola have become a successful president? Maybe! Was the annulment of June 12 presidential election necessary? Let Babaginda respond to that.
As for President Buhari, his gesture will be incomplete if he doesn’t apologise to Niger Delta people. His mentor, Abacha, killed Ken Saro Wiwa and other Niger Delta activists. Buhari needs to set a day aside to also remember these heroes.
President Buhari, sir, I am not done yet. You remember the pogrom against the Igbo in the north? Yes! Kindly apologise too and finally put a presidential seal to May 30 of every year to mourn southerners who were killed. This needs to happen too.
Until President Buhari extends his hands of fellowship to other victims of injustice in Nigeria, his gesture, no matter what anyone thinks, will be seen as a political olive gimmick, expected to garner votes for him in 2019.
Re: 2019 and politics of deep pockets
Fred, your piece, “2019 and Politics of deep pockets” made an interesting reading. Make no mistake, if peradventure this current APC federal government is “returned” to power, from 2019 onwards the Nigerian state will become ‘another story’. Just watch out. Barry, Rivers State.
On “2019 and Politics of deep pockets”, my brother, you have said it all. We are in a mess. As for me, l can’t collect anything from these wicked and evil politicians even if l will be given N1 million. To hell with them. Thanks and God bless. Peter Anyaegbunam, Anambra State.
Itua, what a subtle campaign for APC and Buhari to re-emerge in governance in 2019, telling them openly what to offer Nigerians to actualise your mutual dream, despite firing missiles at them, in recent past, over their consistent leadership failures!
As a Nigerian media person too, who knows whether your “Re:2019 and politics of deep pockets” is a call on APC and Buhari to extend, as usual, the dirty hand to you as well, if not already done? Media men are not exempted from such practices, are they? Elections in Nigeria have never been free from sharp practices apart from financial purchase of victory.
All the agencies in charge of elections, at whatever level of government, being employees of incumbent leaders, cede victory to them by implication. Simple. Lai Ashadele, Lagos State