Activists reminisce as Nigeria celebrates June 12

It is four years today after the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by the immediate past administration of President…

It is four years today after the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari which effectively quashed May 29, formerly marked as Democracy Day in Nigeria. What has happened since the declaration?

The declaration of June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day by Buhari was a popular decision which attracted widespread plaudits and endeared the former president to many June 12 activists. The declaration came after 18 years since the June 12, 1993 election declared as the freest, fairest and most peaceful election presumably won by the then Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, was annulled.

Former military President Ibrahim Babangida had annulled the June 12 election thereby triggering massive protest across the country as several activists opposed and protested the annulment.

The June 12 1993 election was described as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic experiment given that the election was conducted in the most transparent and credible manner, throwing up the first Muslim-Muslim pairing which many Nigerians did not give a hoot about.

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After the annulment, the day was marked regularly by the activists who declared that June 12 qualified more for Democracy Day than May 29.

However, Buhari’s pronouncement on June 6, 2018 was a decision which many of the June 12 actors did not see coming.

The former president did not only declare that Democracy Day would now be celebrated every June 12, his government also honoured the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election with the highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) while his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, were awarded the second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).

In his statement recognizing June 12, Buhari said, “June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful election 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.’’

Activists and heroes of the June 12 struggle hailed the former president for having the courage to take action in line with the agitation of the people.

The then spokesman of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, the late Mr Yinka Odumakin, in a chat with Daily Trust after the declaration said, “Yes the declaration represents a partial closure of the June 12 saga. It is a symbolic demonstration of the importance of June 12 which we accepted.’’

However, four years since the declaration there are still mixed feelings as stakeholders insist the government should go beyond celebrating June 12 as Democracy Day. There is also a huge expectation on the new government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was also in the trenches fighting for the de-annulment of June 12.

Speaking with our correspondent, former Chairman of National Conscience Party (NCP) in Lagos and a foremost disciple of Fawehinmi, Comrade Bayo Ogunleye, believed the June 12 has been politicised, saying the comradeship which birthed the June 12 struggle has been hijacked.

“Everybody has left the trenches. The trenches Gani Fawehinmi left for us are empty. The trenches Beko left for us are empty. The trenches of Alao Aka Bashorun are empty.

“June 12 was a watershed in the history of this country. We appreciate the former president for giving that honour to that day. There was no election before that time or till today that was as free, fair and peaceful as June 12. There was no rancour, no political brouhaha only for Babangida to annul it which led to the uprising witnessed on that day.

“But it goes beyond that recognition. What that day actually stood for has not been reflected upon in this country. See what happened after the February 25 presidential election. PDP is in court, Labour Party is in court challenging the outcome of the election. We have not learnt a lesson at all. By now our politicians should have learnt one lesson or the other.”

Elder statesman and Chairman of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Chief Olawale Oshun, described June 12 as the “Harbinger of democracy in Nigeria”, saying the former president remains appreciated for having the “foresight” to declare June 12 as Democracy Day.

He said, “Abiola laid down his life for democracy to thrive. Whatever Buhari’s faults were, that (June 12 declaration) certainly was a noble decision after all he wasn’t the first president to emerge after the death of Abiola. Obasanjo (former President Olusegun Obasanjo) became president and Jonathan and Yar’Adua did without recognising that.

“I want to say that democracy thrives gradually and there have been a series of elections since the passing of Abiola and each one I want to believe is an improvement on the previous one. But even if that is contested, the fact remains that we have managed to ensure that our governance has been guided by election or has been entirely civil rule.”

Oshun, a Third Republic chief whip in the House of Representatives, said Nigeria must focus more on governance than politics in a bid to honour the spirit of June 12.

“What we can do for the people of this country is to start focusing on the economy rather than on just politics. What we have been doing for a long time is playing politics with our lives, with our governance. Once the economy thrives, the people of Nigeria would benefit more. What has been lacking is that there has not been beneficial economic participation for a larger segment of the population.”

President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, who also reminisced on the June 12 struggle, also said it was not enough to declare June 12 as Democracy Day but it must be gazetted that Abiola won the election.

Shettima said, “I was part and parcel of the struggle and so many people lost their lives in that struggle. Some people misunderstood the June 12 struggle to be about Abiola but it was about democracy. Abiola was the rallying point but it has gone beyond Abiola as a person. So we felt it was unjust to have a free and fair election and it was annulled by the military dictatorship and we felt, “No this is not right.” That was why some of us came into the trenches and some of us lost their lives while some got battered.

“If I tell you we have achieved what we wanted, it is not true because the June 12 struggle should not be seen as being about Abiola alone. But unfortunately the whole struggle has been subjected to nothing by successive governments even though, take it or leave it, Buhari had made an attempt to identify with the struggle by making it a day that is very significant in the history of this country.

“He was courageous enough beyond Obasanjo who was a direct beneficiary of that struggle. If there was no June 12, Obasanjo couldn’t have been a president of Nigeria. That arrangement was made behind the scene to appease the South West believing that it would bring an end to the whole agitation but at the end of the day it became counter-productive.”

He, however, expressed hope that the new president, whom he described as a “pure democrat” and a product of the June 12 struggle, would heal the wound of June 12.

“Thank God today one of our own who was part of that struggle, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is the president today. When I say this is our government, I know Tinubu is a pure democrat. He is a product of struggle. He is an activist. We don’t expect anything less than proper management of this country from him because he has all the experience; he knew what this country went through. So I strongly believe he needs our support.”