Fashola, Adebanjo, Sagay, Balarabe Musa, others remember June 12

On June 12 1993, millions of Nigerians voted in the election adjudged to be the best ever conducted in the history of Nigeria.

It was possible for the people to vote right because the elections were properly planned and well conducted. There were pre-election debates and it was easy to know who was intelligent and who was really dull.

The people voted and the results were rolling in more to the favour of MKO Abiola. When it became evident that Abiola would win, Bashir Tofa (the opponent) was said to have sent him congratulatory messages.

That was the spirit and mood until Nigerians received the announcement that cancelled or annulled the election .
The annulment was resisted by many true democrats, some were killed and many went into exile.
Some of them gathered yesterday to mark the 18th anniversary of the event.

Foremost Yoruba leader,
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday, in Lagos stated that the major problem of the Yoruba nation remains ego of the Yoruba leaders in the region, stressing that true reconciliation process must begin in the South-West zone to avoid double speaking among its leaders.

Adebanjo was speaking at the commemoration of June 12, 1993 elections organised by the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Ikeja.

He argued that June 12 remains Nigeria’s democracy day, adding that many of those who make so much noise about June 12 seized to be consistent in the struggle since 1993.

“May 29, to me, is a military democracy day, without June 12 there can never be May 29 because June 12 engineered and pacified the Yoruba nation in its entirety and I must say that those comparing the June 12 elections to the recent elections we had in April are not being sincere because there is no similarity between both elections.”

Speaking at the event, National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress, Otunba Gani Adams said Nigeria had missed a lot by failing to take historic advantage of the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential elections and the gruesome murder of its presumed winner, Bashorun M.K.O Abiola.

Speaking on the theme of the day, “Election violence in Nigeria and Role of our Youths,” the guest speaker, Dr Derin Ologbenla of Department of Political Science, University of Lagos said political violence had been a primary threat to democratic consolidation in Nigeria since independence.

Various dignataries present at the event include Amb. Segun Olusola, Chief Ayo Adebanjo,  Otunba Gani Adams, Dr Joe Odumakin, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, Comrade Ayodele Akele, Sen Suleiman Salawu, His Royal Majesty, Oba Sunday Adelakun, Prof. Kolawole Waheed, Comrade Debo Adeniran, Comrade Goodluck Obi, Mr Tony Uranta and wife, Barong Uranta and Juju maestro, Sir Shina Peters.

Declare June 12 a national holiday – Sagay

Meantime, renown constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, has urged the Federal Government to declare June 12  of every year a national holiday

In a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Sagay described June 12 as a “watershed” in the political history of Nigeria.

The widely acclaimed election of late Chief Moshood Abiola was annulled by the military government on June 12, 1993.

According to him, honouring past heroes such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Moshood Abiola with national holidays is a befitting way of acknowledging their contributions to the nation.

He said that the decision of some states of the federation to declare June 12 as “Democracy Day” was indicative of the autonomy of states in a true federalism.

Fashola seeks  prosecution of  electoral offenders

Prominent Nigerians, civil society groups led by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State have stressed the need for the practice of true federalism if the democratic values must be sustained in Nigeria.

This came even as Fashola urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to work with other organs of government in ensuring that all reported cases of elections malfeasance, misfeasance or howsoever described are thoroughly investigated and vigorously prosecuted.

They made these remarks yesterday at the 18th anniversary of June 12, 1993 Presidential Elections, with the theme: Sustainability of Democratic Values: The Nigeria Experience organised by Lagos State government in collaboration with the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations, held at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

Notable among those that attended the event were: Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope Adefulire; former Governor of Kaduna State and Chairman of Conference of Political Parties, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, NADECO chieftain Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd); Gen Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Hon Wale Oshun who delivered the lecture, Lagos State chairman of Action Congress Party, ACN, Chief Henry Ajomale, council chairmen and other pro June 12 activists.

Fashola in his brief address noted that June 12 produced a platform for the expression of the need for change, a better life, true democracy and responsible governance by millions of Nigerians.

Earlier, Oshun in his paper where he made several references to the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo submissions stressed the need for true federalism.

He said: If the three arms of government were meant to advance democratic values, is it not to be expected that the political structure of the country would have a role to play in ensuring full attainment of separation of power.

Balarabe Musa in his submission stated that he was at the event to identify with the progress and to show solidarity to nation’s heroes who gave their lives for the democracy.

“Government has been indifferent to them since 1987, when we started recording this organised violence in Nigeria.”
To move the nation forward, he urged the government to show a high level of patriotism in all its dealings based on transparency, fair play and justice.

Also on Sovereign National Conference, SNC, he said: “I have being a strong supporter of SNC in this country. But it must be based on the collective interest of Nigeria people, devoid of ethnic colouration and sentiment.”

For him, Nigerians must stand up now to fight for their right be demanding for SNC.

Senator Durojaiye said: “There is a big gap between the government and the governed. They have failed to carry the people along. Government must re-strategise by cutting the jumbo pay being paid to political office holders and implement policies that can improve the living standard of the people. Government has not identified with the person enough that is why we have this yawning gap in our polity.”

To address these anomalies, he advocated for the convocation of a constitutional conference where the fate and the future of Nigerian people can be decided.

Time to outlaw defective federal structure —Aregbesola

The Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of true federal structure.

The governor said the achievement of a true federation where justice, equity and fairness prevail would be a service to the memory of the late Chief Moshood Abiola, who died fighting for democratic values.

Governor Aregbesola, in a statement on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the annulment of the June 12 presidential election, said the bane of the country’s development was the hurdle placed in the way of an ideal federation.

Let’s learn from June 12 —Mimiko

ONDO State governor Dr Olusegun Mimiko yesterday said that hope in the power inherent in being passionate about the country and determination of those in authority to initiate and complete the right course of action that would banish extreme poverty remain two unforgettable lessons of June 12.

Dr Mimiko in a statement in Akure yesterday said more than the rituals of annual celebration, the initiation of the right programmes by governments across the tiers that would restore the hope of the people in the country and forge greater unity among the people would further ingrain the lessons of the aborted election for Nigeria and Nigerians.(Vanguard)