MKO Abiola in Times Like This
Democracy Day (DD) celebrates liberty to choose and elect those who volunteer to serve.
Conversely, DD damms and condemns military dictatorships which suffocated Nigeria and Nigerians for half of its 60 years of independence.
From 1881, when Lagos was forcefully annexed through successive century brutal British colonial/ military campaigns with its trade marks of sorrow, tears and blood, to the lowering of Union Jack in 1960, Nigeria passes for a military outpost! Never again should any group through conquests and coup detat govern Nigeria without the democratic mandate of the people.
As a labour delegate, I recall that the echoes of June 12, 1993 presidential election reverberated during the annulment anniversary on the floor of the National confab in 2014. An observation on a matter of national importance was raised by a conference delegate Mr Orok Duke.
He wanted the presumed winner of the historic election accorded national honour in addition to a minute silence for all fallen heroes of the great struggles for democracy in the 1990s.
After much heated emotion which often trials June 12 discourse, the plenary under the Chairmanship Justice Idris Kutigi eventually obliged the delegates to pay tributes to all those who died for Nigeria’s democracy including late Abiola with a minute silence.
I bear witness that the star delegate of 2014 National Conference was Elder statesman Edwin Clark. He argued audaciously that for the “small mindedness of some one,” (his words!), June 12 should have been democracy day and not May 29! “May 29 is because somebody came into office and decided to make it as democracy day in this country.
June 12 is democracy day in Nigeria”, Chief Clark unapologetically declared.
The 2020 Democracy Day assumed special historic importance. For one, June 12th officially replaces May 29th as the new national Democracy day. Undoubtedly the focus was on the historic role of Chief Moshood Abiola, (the leading star actor of the annulled 1993 presidential elections) in the struggle for democracy. My recollection of Chief Abiola is an admixture of ideological contestation and political admiration.
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