One very sad occurrence in our political journey was the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election. It happened at a time when most Nigerians were tired of military rule, or misrule as the case may be. At that time, the military had ruled for about a decade, from 1983 when the duly elected Shagari government was ousted via a coup d’état.
In that dark era of the military, Nigerians saw the possibility of a great future in the presidential ticket of Chief MKO Abiola and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe of SDP. And it didn't matter that it was a Muslim Muslim ticket at that time, we all voted for them. In fact, great was the desire to have Abiola as our president that he won in Kano; beating Bashir Tofa, of the NRC, his only opponent who happens to be from Kano State in the 1993 general elections.
With just a moment for MKO Abiola, who has been in the lead to emerge president, the election was annulled, thwarting the will of most Nigerians who voted for him with one voice. Therefore, many took to the streets protesting against that decision; many lost their lives as a result of the struggle including one of Abiola's wives, Kudirat Abiola, who was assassinated June 4, 1996 in Lagos. Chief Abiola himself, a billionaire and foremost philanthropist, one of the richest in Africa at that time, wasn't spared. He was imprisoned and eventually died in prison under very suspicious circumstances.
It was therefore with a feeling of respite that many Nigerians greeted the announcement in 2018, by the immediate past Buhari administration that June 12, and not May 29, is democracy day. Many have applauded that decision especially due to the great import of June 12 in our nation’s democratic experience. Indeed, it was on June 12, 1993, some 30 years ago that some heroes, albeit unsung heroes, paid for the democracy we enjoy today with their tears, sweat, and blood.
It is for this reason that we must nurture and not take our democracy for granted. It is necessary that we abide by the rule of the game, as spelt out in our Constitution and not do anything to jeopardize what we have. And that is why anyone who does not agree with the outcome of any election is expected to go to court and fight for his mandate instead of taking the law into their hands. In a similar vein, our Justices must truly and sincerely be seen to dispense justice accordingly. It is tantamount to subversion of democracy when a judge collects money, accepts bribe, to deliver a judgement in favour of somebody who has actually not won the election. The use of money in election tribunal, is almost at a scandalous level now, it is as if justice is for the highest bidder. In a recent interview with ARISE TV, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, disclosed that his party refused to challenge the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election in court due to lack of funds. According to him, “For anybody to go to court to challenge an election that person must have not less than 5 billion naira”.
As we celebrate this year’s Democracy Day, we must continue to make deliberate efforts towards ensuring the survival of democracy. But our effort doesn’t have to stop at ensuring that democracy survives, it will be a great mistake to have that type of mindset. We are not practicing democracy just for the sake of practicing it, but as a means of ensuring prosperity for millions of Nigerians living in abject poverty. Our heroes of democracy gave everything for the wellbeing of the downtrodden masses. There is no gainsaying that it was for this reason, after all, his campaign slogan was ‘Farewell to Poverty’, that people like Chief MKO Abiola contested Nigeria’s presidency, and in the process, sacrificed enormous resources, wife, and life.
Surely, if this were a nation where we have not failed at leadership, no Nigerian should go without food or shelter, electricity supply should have been adequate and stable, our roads should have been rid of potholes by now, and businesses should be thriving because of the general atmosphere of prosperity in that ideal Nigeria.
Still, we should not give up, this democracy day is another opportunity to resolve and make commitments, both as leaders and followers, towards ensuring that we truly enjoy the dividends of democracy and not just continue to go through the motion suffering and smiling.
Therefore, it is indeed high time we started holding our leaders accountable for their actions and inactions. We must stop acting as if we are helpless, because power is indeed in the hands of the people and democracy is simply a game of numbers. If you study Government in secoundary school, you should know that democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. So you call the shot. It is a welcomed development that we saw the use of money in politics being discouraged even by the government in power. We also saw the diehard supporters of Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party in the just concluded presidential elections; saying ‘we no dey give shishi’. Even if it seems as if we are not getting it right now; all these are positive pointers to the fact that our politics is gradually growing to the level where the choice of the people is supreme. And politicians are also gradually realizing that records of achievements do actually matter.
During the Special Investiture and National Honours Award Ceremony for Late MKO Abiola and others on the June 12, 1993 struggle, on June 12, 2018; former president Muhammadu Buhari noted thus: “We cannot rewind the past but we can at least assuage our feelings; recognize that a wrong had been committed and resolve to stand firm now and in the future for the sanctity of free elections. Nigerians would no longer tolerate such perversion of justice”. Surely, it is time to make that commitment and resolve to ensure that democracy works and that we derive its full benefits. This simply means that we would no longer be bystanders, we can begin by supporting our leaders in every way possible, but of utmost importance we must start holding our leaders accountable for their actions. As our new Governor of Niger State, His Excellency Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago, has rightly pointed out, it should not be business as usual. For it is foolhardy to continue doing the same thing in the same way always, when it is very obvious that it is not working or yielding any fruit.