Six Things June 12 Taught Me
Where were you on June 12, 1993? I was in Ilorin, Kwara state, enjoying the weekend with my cousins. I could not vote because I registered in Lagos. If I had voted, I would have thumb-printed the space for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) whose presidential flag bearer was Chief MKO Abiola. I had been rooting for Alhaji Bashir Tofa, the candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC). But after watching the televised presidential debate and having an argument debate with my dear friend, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu (now APC national publicity secretary), I was finally persuaded to vote for Abiola, although I eventually disenfranchised myself.
I learnt a dozen lessons from the June 12 debacle. First, northerners were unfairly vilified in the political crisis that engulfed was always going to pick a northerner as the nation after the annulment. The narrative his vice-presidential candidate. Informed that was that they did not want Abiola to become Abiola would appoint an Igbo as secretary president. There was a conspiracy theory that to the government of the federation (SGF), the north wanted to hold on to power by all Ojukwu famously quipped: “That’s a glorified means. However, the election results did not tea boy!” support this claim. Abiola won nine out of The third lesson is that the Nigerian political the 16 states in the north while Tofa won only class can be petty. NRC behaved badly after seven. The romantic part of the story was losing the election. Rather than join forces that Abiola defeated Tofa in his home state, with the SDP to defend our democracy and Kano, and even in his ward. I do not want confront the military which was the mortal to believe it was the Yoruba or southerners enemy, it became a matter of “if I don’t have in the north that did the magic. That would it, then nobody else should”. NRC backed be a disingenuous claim. out of the fight very easily. To make matters
To be sure, I accepted the conspiracy theory worse, SDP members who had been unhappy then. The north, I mean the “core north”, had that Abiola got the party’s presidential ticket so dominated the political landscape that in the first place were very eager to negotiate resentment had built up considerably in the away the mandate. SDP leaders were soon south against the “northern oligarchy”. So it engaged in meetings with the military to set up was easy to read the annulment as a northern an interim government to “save Nigeria from agenda. If you ask my opinion today, I would the precipice”. You won the election, guys! say there was no conspiracy. I would say the The fourth lesson is that anyone can become military guys just did not want to let go of a symbol of resistance no matter their past. power. That is the benefit of hindsight. After Abiola was an establishment person, one who all, the previously cancelled primaries had wined and dined with the powers that be, three northerners in the lead: Gen. Shehu starting with the military government of Gen Musa Yar’Adua having pocketed the SDP Murtala Muhammed in 1975. He was a known ticket and Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi and Mallam friend of Gen Ibrahim Babangida. If anyone was Adamu Ciroma about to face a run-off for expected to accept the annulment of June 12 the NRC ticket. quietly, enter his car and go back to his house,
The second lesson is that Igbo and Yoruba are it was Abiola. I am sure Babangida and his not irreconcilable political enemies. Historically, team were dumbfounded that Abiola led the the two dominant southern ethnic groups had rebellion against what was supposed to be a appeared to be political rivals fiercely at war routine cancellation of elections. I honestly did with each other — always going in opposite not expect the resistance from Abiola, much directions in the struggle for supremacy in the less that he would go to his grave fighting. Nigerian power game. However, despite the What this seems to tell me about Nigeria is SDP fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket that held that the much-expected turnaround may come virtually no attraction to the Igbo, they still from unexpected quarters. I am not saying I voted massively for Abiola, a Yoruba. There saw any vision, but the usual suspects may were four Igbo states then. Although Tofa not lead the ethical and political revolution won in Enugu, Imo and Abia and Abiola won that will unleash the potential of this country. only in Anambra, the total scores provided Nigeria is too blessed to be crawling on its better evidence: 790,371 to Tofa, 739,748 to chest. How can we have all these resources Abiola. A mere difference of 50,623 votes! — human and material — and be stuck in the
I believe Yoruba still owe Ndigbo one. You cesspool of poverty, disease, unemployment would appreciate these figures better if you and corruption? But the change leader may realised that there was an Igbo on the NRC turn out to be the least expected person, one ticket: Dr Sylvester Ugoh was Tofa’s running whom we despise or treat with suspicion. mate. Abiola getting 48 percent in the southAbiola was an unlikely symbol of resistance. east was definitely not an ordinary gesture. He did not look the part but he played the Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu had angrily part. left SDP for NRC after the Muslim-Muslim The fifth lesson is that Nigerians have short ticket was announced, arguing that SDP had memory. Many of those parading themselves marginalised the Igbo — even though Abiola today as heroes of democracy were actually
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in bed with the miscreants who annulled June 12. They fought vigorously to make sure the annulment was not reversed. They said and did despicable things for political gain and filthy lucre. But nobody remembers again. They now grandstand and lecture us on democracy and the resistance to military rule. If you want to have a list of these villains-turned-heroes, please get a copy of Olusegun Adeniyi’s “The Last 100 Days of Abacha”. You will marvel at the conduct of the sycophants who have become latter-day saints of the democratic order.
Finally, this may be minor but it is not irrelevant: I also learnt that presidential debate is a good thing. Actually, if Babangida had not annulled the presidential election, he would have bowed out a hero after a lot of missteps in his eight years as president of Nigeria. He had tried to create a new political order after performing many experiments, including banning and unbanning “old breed” politicians and creating, controversially, two parties based on competing ideologies and manifestoes. Watching the two presidential candidates debate was something completely new to me as a Nigerian and it really helped me weigh my options before making up my mind.
Unfortunately, debates have become a joke in Nigeria. Rather than make progress and build on what we experienced in 1993, we have gone terribly backwards on many counts. Studies have shown that if you want to win the presidential election in Nigeria, you must not participate in TV debate. Okay, that is a joke, but all the presidents we have produced since 1999 never participated in debates. In 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo stood Chief Olu Falae up at the Hilton Hotel in Abuja on the night of the debate. Eventually, Falae had to do it alone. I remember him saying “I don’t find it funny debating with myself” — or something like that — when the programme started.
In 2003, Obasanjo was absent again, even though Gen Muhammadu Buhari and Prof Pat Utomi were waiting for him. In 2007, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua did not feature. No reasons were given, although we knew Yar’Adua to be articulate and capable of taking on his rivals. He did not prove it. In 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan avoided the company of Buhari, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and chose to debate with himself. In 2015, he spoiled for a debate with Buhari, but Buhari’s handlers advised him to keep clear. This year again, Buhari avoided debating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Debate dodgers always win presidential polls in Nigeria.
We need a culture of debate. I would be the first to say that to debate is one thing and to govern is another, but I would add that avoiding debates does not guarantee good governance either. I won’t even say debates determine the outcome of elections. I think most people’s minds are made up irrespective of the pedigrees and eloquence of the presidential candidates, but my point is: what do we stand to lose if we hear them debate their ideas and policies in a room? It is a feature of democratic culture we need to imbibe. It certainly swung me in Abiola’s direction in 1993. Overall, I have some good memories from the June 12 debacle, although the pains were devastating.