Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, reminisces on the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential elections and the lessons Nigerians have learnt from the exercise
On Thursday, June 12, it would be 21 years after the fabled ‘Hope 1993’ was dashed, leaving Nigerians, perhaps, greatly pained. The day would mark the 21st anniversary of that historic election won by Moshood Abiola, which was unfortunately annulled by Nigeria’s military class, thereby truncating the nation’s democratic process.
The annulment of June 12 elections was a political watershed that was greeted with so much rage, and the world was stunned.
The nation was literally shut down on account of the incident that set the stage for the forced exit of the then military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB).
The June 12 election, to some political commentators, was supposed to be the climax of a long and convoluted transition programme by a deceptive military dictatorship. Instead, in its annulment, it became an end to one regime, IBB, and by extension the military regime.
Some critics say the annulment was meant to prolong the rule of IBB. But against such political arithmetic, the crisis that emanated from it re-invigorated mass protests led to its termination and his stepping “aside”.
Street protests and organised civil disobedience became a daily routine, as IBB, against his will, eventually “stepped aside” and set up the Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government (ING) with a mandate to run government and organise fresh elections.
The protests incidentally continued and the late Gen. Sani Abacha, who was left behind by the departing Babangida regime to ‘stabilise’ the Shonekan administration, had to shove it aside on November 17, 1993 and took over the reins of government. The struggle for the actualisation of the people’s mandate continued with scores of Nigerians killed. As the military cracked down on protesters, several went on exile, and more were jailed for daring to stand up to the military.
Sadly too, many prominent Nigerians, as well as thousands of innocent Nigerians, lost their lives.
June 12 was a day of an election, which, to majority of Nigerians and the international community, seemed to highlight the fact that though ethnic and religious differences exist in the country, the Nigerian electorate could still stand in brotherhood, when the chips are down.
The ideals have continued to live in the minds of the ordinary Nigerian, who, in the popular views of most political observers, arguably for the first time exercised their rights to participate in true democracy.
Unfortunately, many of those who fought to realise the dreams of that election seem to be disillusioned that their dreams are still very far from fulfillment, given the resources that abound.
It is obvious that memories of the June 12 election, the processes of its annulment, and the aftermath of its abortion, as well as the return to democratic governance of that year, are not easily lost on many Nigerians. The conduct of that election has been adjudged the freest in the nation’s history, as most Nigerians widely believed it to be the greatest symbol of true democracy in the country.
Some political commentators have argued that Abiola deserves all the accolades showered on him every June 12, reason being that it is not common to find one who would willingly put his neck on the guillotine, his family and business on the line, in pursuit of a presidential medal, no matter its allure.
Nigeria will continue revisiting Abiola and the June 12 saga. This is because Nigerians, cutting across all segments and social strata, keyed into Abiola’s message of “hope” and “change”, and defied all odds to cast their votes for him and his running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe.
First, it is believed to be a day Nigerians voted, not minding religion and ethnicity, especially as Abiola and his running mate, Babagana Kingibe, ran on a Muslim-Muslim ticket that did not seem to matter to Nigerians.
Second, Abiola, who ran on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), defeated Bashir Tofa, not only in most Northern states but at Tofa’s Kano home state.
On June 12, Nigerians are reminded of the infamy visited on the country by the military and where the country could have been if the elections hadn’t been messed up.
The question is whether Abiola’s courageous insistence on the mandate given to him by Nigerian voters has been a benefit or a setback to political stability and to political development of Nigeria as a corporate entity?
Ebere Onwudiwe of the Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, had argued that Abiola’s position ultimately benefited Nigeria’s political development, although, perhaps, not as he intended.
For Onwudiwe, “the denial of Abiola’s right to assume office encouraged the proliferation of pro-democracy groups and other organisations of civil society who, despite repression, bravely harassed the Abacha dictatorship. The pressure against Abacha’s dictatorship was unprecedented because there had never been such a reaction to any military coup d’tat in the past. The sacrifice Abiola made, no matter how you look at it, has helped our democracy, though we are not there yet.”
Eric Osagie, journalist and columnist, argued that “Abiola, in a sense, was an unlikely hero. He was an ultra-conservative politician, who became radicalised when his electoral victory was inexplicably annulled, leading the battle from the front to redress the injustice of a free and fair election aborted midstream because ‘the midwives didn’t like the face and sex of the new baby’.”
But for most Nigerians, it does not seem as if any lesson has been learnt on June 12. This is because as the nation approaches the 2015 election year, ethnic and religious bigots seem to have taken the stage once again, deploying every arsenals at their disposal to force Nigerians back into ethnic and religious cleavages. Armies of unemployed youths have been recruited by politicians and armed to harm political opponents in a bid to have undue political mileage.
Dele Kosoko, former House of Representatives member for Badagry Federal Constituency, Lagos State, said he is not excited with democratic developments so far, given the massive corruption that abound in the land.
Although he said democracy remained the best alternative, he urged Nigerians and the leadership to rise up to the democratic challenge and ensure the deepening of democratic culture in the country.
Joe Igbokwe, Lagos State Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), added that despite efforts to discredit June 12, it has remained a date Nigerians must reflect on, if the country must grow true democracy.
As the 21st anniversary will be celebrated this Thursday with public holidays declared in some states, it is obvious that Nigerians, as they remember June 12, will never forget in a hurry the sequence of events of the annulment and thereafter; those who fought for its annulment and de-annulment; the believers and betrayers, as well as the sheer hypocrites who mouthed June 12 in the day time, while lapping up to Aso Rock in the dead of the night.