Nigeria’s New Democracy Day and the Challenge of Governance: The Foreign Policy Dimensions
Manu Militari
President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has made strenuous efforts to sustain the legitimacy of his election in 2015 by addressing some of the issues that have centrifugal character in the polity. One of them is the question of whether May 29 or June 12 should be retained as Nigeria’s Democracy Day. Both dates have proponents and opponents with powerful arguments for and against. The proponents of May 29 underscore the end to military dictatorship with the handing over of power from the military to elected civilians in 1999, while the proponents of June 12 emphasise the factor of the political recklessness of the military in denying the nationally and universally acknowledged, freest, fairest, peaceful, and most credible election. The military-led government of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) prevented the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimowo OlawaleAbiola, his mandate to govern Nigeria.
The opposition to the choice of May 29 is largely explained by the consideration that the June 12, 1993 election was the fairest, freest, most peaceful, and the most credible election completely devoid of political chicaneries, of ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. The election was considered as the most hitch-free.And true enough, it was an election that served more as a catalytic, centripetal factor in the country’s efforts at nation-building. But, most unfortunately, the then military president of Nigeria, General IBB, reportedly ‘annulled’ the election and its results.
It is useful to first of all note at this juncture that an election that had taken place cannot be annulled. It is impossible to do so, because such an election was already a fait accompli.An election result can be disregarded and also manipulated, but cannot be annulled to give the impression that it never existed, simply because the results are already in the possession of all party agents. The worst scenario is to declare the results invalid. Invalidation does not imply that an election never took place. There cannot be a result or invalidation without election...
One truth is that IBB, knowing well that the collation of the election results was in favour of Chief MKOAbiola and some military leaders did not want the transfer of power that would be detrimental to the interests of the ruling military, the winner of the election was simply denied of his mandate by preventing the further announcement, and by implication, the conclusion of the compilation of the whole election results. The alleged annulment of the June 12, 1993 election should therefore be correctly interpreted to mean inconclusiveness of the announcement of election results, a manu militari coup against the winner of the election, and a coup d’état against Nigeria and its people. This is the background against which the proponents of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day should be explained and understood.
Without doubt, the sponsors of May 29 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, mainly led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who, indeed, unilaterally declared May 29 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, but without legal backing, has it that MKOAbiola could not, and was not the Messiah Nigerians voted for and wanted, place the day of transfer of military power to a civilian, which is quite different from the manifestation of a democratic will vested in MKOAbiola.
From the foregoing, many questions have to be raised and answered: what makes May 29 wrong as Nigeria’s Democracy Day and what makes June 12 right as Nigeria’s Democracy Day? Let us assume here that nothing is wrong with the choice of the two dates, which is then better a date and what makes it better than the other? More interestingly, since May 29, 2000 was the first imposed Democracy Day, and since then, that day has always been observed as a Democracy Day in Nigeria, what has prompted the controversy over it, to the extent that, on June 6, 2018 PMB had to review the date, announcing that henceforth, June 12 would be observed as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, as well as a public holiday?
Two explanations are possible. The first is that PMB appears to have weighed the truth of the matter in light of the pressure brought to bear on him, especially by the Yoruba ethnic group, and the NADECO (National Democratic Coalition), comprising various nationalists from different ethnic backgrounds, which argues that
nothing, even the October 1 Independence Day nor the May 29 returning of power to civilian authority can be considered as important as June 12, a very historical and symbolic date in Nigeria’s political history. The NADECO, the Yoruba people, and more importantly, majority of all other ethnic groups were agreed that Chief MKO Abiola should be honoured.
For instance,Ayo Opadokun, the General Secretary of the NADECO, is on record to have said that ‘President Olusegun Obasanjo who the military foisted on Nigeria for eight years ignored all appeals to close the chapter of military’s disrespect to the popular will of the Nigerian people as expressed on June 12, 1993, which results have been officially announced at all wards, LGAs, and state levels of collation confirmingAbiola’s victory.’Ayo Opadokun also recalled that ‘General Obasanjo, in reaction to the popular rejection of the General IBB annulment of theAbiola’s victory said that MKO Abiola was not the Messiah the Nigerian people needed.’
Asecond explanation is the factor of analytical objectivity of purpose. PMB has eventually accepted that June 12 is more symbolic and relevant as a Democracy Day. He honoured MKOAbiola with the highest award in the land, that of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) post-humously. The award was to suggest that MKOAbiola was also a formerly elected president of Nigeria.
In his analysis of the implications of June 12 Democracy Day Declaration, MuhammadAjah, noted on June 11, 2018 that ‘historians and relevant government agencies should work out the period he served or might have served in that capacity (July 07, 1998). Though he was not sworn in, they can consider the period after the election till he died . Furthermore, his picture should now be fixed in all places where past presidents of Nigeria are showed case.’ More notably, Ajah has argued, ‘if there are any national recognition(s) to which the wife and children were due for, there is the need to release it to them. As simple as that, the wife and children should be granted access to federal government opportunities like other past presidents.’
Additionally, PMB did well by also conferring the second most important award of the land, GCON (Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger) on the running mate of MKOAbiola,Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, as well as on Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the illustrious son of Ondo City, who led the campaigns for the actualisation.As argued by many Nigerians, PMB has taken the measures to simply douse the tension created by the ‘annulment’ or rather the suspension of the final collation of the election results, for the Yoruba ethnic group from where MKOAbiola came.
And perhaps more interestingly, the controversy generated in the public explains in part why Mr. Kayode Oladele, one of the June 12 activists, representing the Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency of Ogun State in the House of Representatives to sponsor the June 12 bill, which eventually led to PMB’s signing it into law after all due processes. in 2018.Additionally and, in fact, it was in light of the need to make the Yoruba stop taking the bad end of the stick that the northern military oligarchy reportedly supported the election of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.And this brings us to the third consideration.
The third consideration is the aspect of hardly-talked-about rivalry between PMB and Obasanjo. Obasanjo is simply referred to as OBJ, that is, Olusegun Okikiola Obasanjo while Buhari is referred to as PMB. Both OBJ and PMB are military-turned politicians. OBJ was former military Head of State, and so was, and still is, PMB. OBJ served as a military Head of State before and more than PMB. OBJ also successfully served two terms as elected President of Nigeria. PMB has just completed only one term. He began his second term last May 29.Apart from this factor of seniority, OBJ is also senior to PMB in the military setting. These similarities and differences are largely driven by a Cold War between the two leaders. Impression is given that PMB wants to be à la hauteur of the record of OBJ
Probably, but also apparently, the factor of seniority appears to have always impacted on OBJ’s patriotic instinct to give advice to PMB on how best to address national questions, especially as regards national insecurity issues, but to which PMB has also been giving apprehensions.At times PMB would prefer that OBJ should have drawn his attention to such issues without the use of media platform, and particularly since OBJ is believed to have unfettered access to the presidency. One of the latest manifestations of this Cold War is the allegation by OBJ that PMB might have an agenda of or be aiding and abetting the Fulanisation of WestAfrica, and by extension, Nigeria.
And most relevant to this discussion is the opposition of OBJ to June 12 as a Democracy Day. One popular interpretation of PMB’s support of June 12 as a Democracy Day is said to spite OBJ. Whatever is the case, many seasoned members of the political elite are agreed with the OBJ’s allegation. The Yoruba leaders are generally in his support, even though some of them have accused him of laying the foundation for such alleged Fulanisation. Now that June 12 has legally become a Democracy Day and a Public Holiday with effect from 2019, how does this impact on Nigeria’s foreign policy?
TheForeignPolicyDimensions
June 12, 2019 was the new and first Democracy Day for all Nigerians to begin to observe henceforth as a public holiday backed by law. It is made different from May 29 which is now only for the remembrance of the throwing of the obnoxious military dictatorship into the garbage of history and the ushering in of civilian rule as a basis for evolving enduring democratic rule and culture. In this regard, June 12, 2019, as a new beginning, is particularly interesting from its foreign policy dimensions: first, at the domestic level, and second, at the international level.
At the domestic level, it is made a day of rest for all citizens and residents in the country. But what really does June 12 mean as a Democracy Day at the domestic level?As for June 12, 2019, it was more of a day for presidential speech, military parade, cultural displays, music making, etc. Very little of the meaning of democracy was brought to bear on the day. Democracy, in terms of its etymology, simply means rule (demo) of the society or people (Cracy).
In other words, how can June 12 be remembered as a day of rule by the people, beyond being a day of failed democratic elections? Observation of June 12 as a Democracy Day should, under normal circumstance, should not be by manu militari. It should be a special day for national reflections on democracy as an instrument for nation-building in all its ramifications. It should be a time to review all efforts undertaken to grow democracy in the previous 365 days. Academic seminars, colloquia, workshops, debates, etc should be the hallmark of the day. June 12 should be one of pillars of intellectual restructuring. It is by so doing that the Nigerianess in nation-building can be made manifest. Put differently, as a public holiday, ample room has to be given to ruminate on how best to develop democracy as a system of government and also gradually evolve a democratic culture from it.
In fact, June 12 has two dimensions in terms of implications and how to grow democracy in Nigeria. The change of date from May 29 is not stricto sensu to honour Chief MKOAbiola but democracy as an instrument of international political governance, hence the international dimension to it. It is to inform the international community that Nigeria should henceforth be always reckoned with as a developing, if not, a quasi-developed democratic nation, to begin with.
(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)
An election that had taken place cannot be annulled. It is impossible to do so, because such an election was already a fait accompli.An election result can be disregarded and also manipulated, but cannot be annulled to give the impression that it never existed, simply because the results are already in the possession of all party agents.The worst scenario is to declare the results invalid. Invalidation does not imply that an election never took place.There cannot be a result or invalidation without election... In other words, how can June 12 be remembered as a day of rule by the people, beyond being a day of failed democratic elections? Observation of June 12 as a Democracy Day should, under normal circumstance, should not be by manu militari. It should be a special day for national reflections on democracy as an instrument for nation-building in all its ramifications.It should be a time to review all efforts undertaken to grow democracy in the previous 365 days.Academic seminars, colloquia, workshops, debates, etc should be the hallmark of the day. June 12 should be one of pillars of intellectual restructuring. It is by so doing that the Nigerianess in nation-building can be made manifest