Burden of June 12, 1993 Polls on Nigeria’s Future Elections
Like a bolt from the blue, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 pleasantly surprised the pro- democracy movement, when he issued a press statement changing Nigeria's Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12, starting from 2019. He did not stop at that, he also tacitly recognised the un-inaugurated Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola's presidency, by conferring the highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll, which was annulled by the Military junta led by Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida on June 23, 1993. Also honoured with second highest national award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) is Abiola's running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, as well as the fiery human rights legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, of blessed memory.
The award ceremony, was held on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. At the colourful event which had in attendance political office holders from the aborted Third Republic, pro-democracy activists such as Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana, SAN, Ms. Ayo Obe, family members of late MKO Abiola, those of late Gani Fawehinmi, as well as serving political officers in this Fourth Republic, the President tendered apologies to the family of late Abiola, as well as victims of the June 12 struggle. A minute silence was also observed in honour of Abiola, Gani and other martyrs of June 12 struggle.
Recurring Questions Since that news broke, I have had the privilege of discussing it on several news channels. These are Arise TV, Kiss 99.9 FM, Nigerian Television Authority, Radio Nigeria, Independent Television, Invicta 98.9 FM, Silverbird Television, The Sun newspaper and Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State. I have not only discussed it in English language, but also in Pidgin and Yoruba languages. The questions I was repeatedly asked, were the implication of this decision on Nigeria's democracy, whether it was politically motivated, and how that decision will rub off on future elections in Nigeria.
I was an undergraduate student of University of Lagos in 1993, and though I cannot remember voting in that election, I was deeply involved in the struggle to validate the election, as University students particularly in South West Nigeria, joined the Labour Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations, to demonstrate for the reversal of the annulment of the election.
I am not unaware of the controversies that have greeted the PMB recognition of June 12 as our deserved Democracy Day, as well as the posthumous recognition of Abiola and Gani, more so, as legal opinion has earlier been offered that only the living can be bestowed with those national honours, when similar advocacy was made for late Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, who sacrificed her life for Nigeria in the fight against Ebola Virus some years ago. There was also the issue of legality of change in date for Democracy Day which has for 19 years been held on May 29.
Legal opinions differ on this matter, and I've read and listened to many of them. However, news report on June 13, 2018 said the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has clarified that the Public Holidays Act will soon be amended to accommodate the declaration of June 12 as public holiday. He was quoted as saying: “So, when the Act has been fully amended, the declaration of the President will come into effect. It is a declaration of intention, a declaration of desire, and that will eventually be given effect with the act of amendment of the existing law”. This ordinarily should lay to rest the lingering controversies about propriety or otherwise, of the President's action of moving Nigeria's Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12. However, I have a feeling that someone somewhere will go to court to seek interpretations of the National Honours Act and Honours Warrant, as well as Public Holidays Act, as it affects this step taken by PMB. As far as I'm concerned, that will be salutary to our jurisprudence and help deepen our democracy.
Politicians and Exploitation of Opportunities to get Votes
As some analysts have rightly observed, May 29 may remain hand over date, until a possible constitutional amendment is done to move it to June 12. As to whether the move by the President to validate and venerate June 12, 1993 Presidential election, is politically motivated, it will seem so. Given that the 2019 General Election is due in about nine months' time, it is a masterstroke by President Buhari to do something heartwarming for South West Nigeria. There is no crime in this. Politicians are known, to explore and exploit opportunities, to give them edge at the polls.
It would be recalled that, former President, Goodluck Jonathan had in 2012, attempted to honour Aare MKO Abiola by renaming University of Lagos after the astute politician and business mogul. This was resisted, for two major reasons. First, the Yoruba race preferred a national monument outside of the South West geo-political zone, be named after Abiola. This was deserving, considering his immense contribution to sports, commerce and industry, as well as philanthropy all over the country. Secondly, neither the Council nor Senate of University of Lagos, was consulted before that decision was made.
June 12 Election: A Poll like no Other Let me recap few things about June 12, 1993 presidential election. That was a poll like no other. It was an election, contested only by two political parties. That was an era when the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, proclaimed two political parties into existence. They were National Republican Convention and the Social Democratic Party. These two parties were fully funded by the then military regime, because they didn't want them to be hijacked by moneybags. In fact, Government built all their party offices in all the Local Government Areas, States and the Federal Capital Territory.
That election was also conducted, using a unique voting system named, Option A4. This is an open balloting system, where the electorate queue behind the candidates or their posters, at the Polling Units. Some people are calling for the reintroduction of this voting system, which as an election expert, I will not subscribe to. This is because, it makes the voters prone to molestation, harassment, and violence, as there is no secrecy of ballot. On that day, SDP, the party under which MKO Abiola contested the presidential election, took a big gamble by fielding a Muslim Presidential candidate and a Muslim Vice Presidential candidate. Surprisingly, it paid off for the party, as the voters shunned primordial ethno-religious sentiments, and voted across Nigeria for the SDP candidate. According to the Polling Unit collated results by the Polling Officials and SDP party agents, MKO won a pan-Nigeria mandate, even defeating the NRC candidate, Alhaji Bashir Tofa in his home state of Kano. The election was adjudged as the freest, fairest, and most peaceful election in Nigeria's democratic history.
Two institutions played ignominious role, in the truncation of the June 12 election. They are the Judiciary and the Military. While some Judges gave dubious court injunctions stopping the conduct of the election, the military junta headed by Babangida annulled the election. This led to nationwide protests, which eventually forced the military to leave governance six years after – in 1999. Hundreds of lives including that of Abiola and his wife, Kudirat, were lost in the sustained protests against the military over the annulment.
Though the military eventually returned power to civilian on May 29, 1999, part of the positive fall out of the struggle for the validation of June 12, was the growth in the number of non-governmental organisations working in the area of Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance.
Demands I joined all well-meaning Nigerians, to task the Federal Government to officially release the results of the June 12, 1999 presidential election, officially recognise MKO Abiola as the winner, pay all his entitlements and name a national monument in his honour. I suggest the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. I also recommend that the Three Arm Zone in Abuja, should be renamed June 12 Zone. In addition, I want all the leaders of the struggle for the validation of the June 12 election, living or dead, including Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, who was the chairman of National Electoral Commission, to be given national honours. In truth, without the June 12 struggle, we may not have had this Fourth Republic. Also, it will be most appropriate, to have a curriculum developed on the June 12, 1993 elections and its values of tolerance, electoral integrity, and unity in diversity. This should be thought in our Primary and Secondary Schools, as part of Civics, History or Government.
The greatest burden that the June 12, 1993 election has placed on Nigeria's future elections, is the need to have better polls than that. At present, Nigeria's elections face challenges of lack of internal party democracy, electoral violence, vote trading, hate speech, and logistical nightmares. At the Media and Civil Society Organisation roundtable organised by the Transition Monitoring Group in Lagos on Monday, June 11, 2018, these were some of the things we tried to find lasting solutions to. The keynote Speaker was the legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.
As I noted in my published interview with The Sun newspaper on Sunday, June 10, 2018; beyond the recognition and national honour, the spirit of June 12 demands that, we do everything to ensure that going forward, our elections are of international standards - free, fair and credible. That should start from the forthcoming July 14 Governorship poll in Ekiti State, and September 22 Governorship election in Osun State, before we talk of 2019 general elections. That is when we will know that the All Progressives Congress, and indeed, President Buhari did not do this out of hypocrisy or mischief, but out of belief in the spirit of June 12.
Jide Ojo, Executive Director of OJA Development, Abuja