Addressing the people of Abia State last Saturday, Governor Alex Otti noted that the fact that the country has had 27 years of uninterrupted democratic practice is a clear testament to the resilience of the Nigerian people and their commitment to the entrenchment of democratic values in our society. He urged the people to remain vigilant and refrain from any actions that would compromise the democratic gains that have been achieved since the return to civilian rule.
By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.
As the nation marks this year`s Democracy Day, it has, perhaps, become imperative to appraise the efforts that have been made since the inception of the current political dispensation in 1999 to entrench and deepen democratic values in the land. For purposes of clarity, the Democracy Day which is today being celebrated across the country is in commemoration of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election which was annulled by former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.
That historic election, which was presumably won by late Chief MKO Abiola, an international business mogul, is regarded as the freest, fairest and most credible in the history of Nigeria. The significance of that election lies in the fact that it united the people of Nigeria across tribal and religious cleavages. In that election, the people of Nigeria spoke with one voice as they gave Abiola a pan-Nigerian mandate that defied primordial considerations.
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Abiola, from Abeokuta in Ogun State, resoundingly beat his sole opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa in his home State, Kano, including his political ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area (LGA) of the State. Nigerians also were not dissuaded by the fact that Abiola ran on a joint Muslim ticket which featured Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe as his running mate. The electorate, in their numbers, disregarded all these considerations to vote massively for Abiola.
But to the utter dismay of the citizenry and the whole world, the military junta led by General Babangida annulled the election midway into the announcement of the results, thereby throwing the entire country into confusion and avoidable crises. What followed, thereafter, was the stepping aside of Babangida and the emplacement of an Interim National Government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan, a former Chairman of the United African Company (UAC). He lasted in office for only 82 days as he was toppled in a coup staged by General Sani Abacha, who assumed office on November 17, 1993 as Head of State.
The country was to endure five years of social turmoil and brutal dictatorship under Abacha as he continued to face opposition from pro-democracy and human rights activists. But his death in 1988 paved way for the return of the country to democratic political order in 1999 under the superintendence of General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
Nigeria has since continued to consolidate on its democratic journey, with power transiting from one civilian regime to the other on the basis of electoral ballot. It was in 2018 that the civilian administration of Muhammadu Buhari proclaimed June 12 a national holiday to honour the memory of Abiola and all those that lost their lives in the struggle for the restoration of democracy.
Addressing the people of Abia State last Saturday, Governor Alex Otti noted that the fact that the country has had 27 years of uninterrupted democratic practice is a clear testament to the resilience of the Nigerian people and their commitment to the entrenchment of democratic values in our society. He urged the people to remain vigilant and refrain from any actions that would compromise the democratic gains that have been achieved since the return to civilian rule.
His words: “May I also use this auspicious occasion to announce to us that we strip ourselves of the right to accountable governance when we begin to accept bribes from politicians and political parties for votes; the same thing also happens when we offer ourselves as instruments of violence or perhaps sell our platforms to those who promote bigotry, hatred or sectarian triumphalism. When we do any of these or engage in conducts that dim the bright flame of freedom that democracy promotes, we simply become one with those who desecrate the sacred trust of public office in pursuit of narrow objectives- we become conspirators”.
The point made by the governor is very significant, considering the flurry of developmental activities going on in Abia State under his leadership. If the people of Abia had collected bribes and compromised during the 2023 elections that brought him to office, the infrastructure revolution that is going on in the State today would have been impossible. There is, therefore, the need for the populace to remain steadfast and continue to demand accountability from their elected leaders. It is by so doing that political leaders would be put on their toes to provide good governance and other dividends of democracy.
Governor Otti is optimistic that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria, the political imperfections and economic challenges notwithstanding. In his words: “I am particularly glad that for all the setbacks we have experienced over the last seven electoral cycles since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, periodic elections have now become a standard feature of our democratic practice. Every 4 years, citizens get the opportunity to elect those who will function in different elective posts across the States and Abuja. We may have a reason or two to disagree with the outcome of an election but the mere fact that we get the opportunity to return to the polling stations every 4 years tells an important story of how far we have come in the last 27 years of unbroken democracy”.
It is said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. The people of Abia must hearken to the call of Governor by remain politically vigilant and discharging their roles as agents of social change. It is by so doing that we can deepen democratic values in our polity.
May Abia continue to prevail!
Dr. Nwosu, a public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.
Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com.
