June 12 annulment, tragic mistake – Jerry Gana

Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information and National Orientation, says the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was a tragic mistake that was not supposed to have happened.

Gana said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Nigeria’s democracy; the journey so far.

He said that the former military president, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, meant well by organising the election but some powerful forces made him to annul it to suit their selfish interests.

“It was a tragic mistake, it should not have happened but since it happened may God help us to get out of it,” he said.

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The former minister said that the election was a period Nigerians united against evil forces but along the line the people that never meant well for Nigeria had their way.

He averred that democracy was better than any other form of government across the globe.

“Therefore, we must stay with democracy in order to better Nigeria because it delivers freedom, human rights and a good number of other things,” he said.

Gana said that in all, Nigerians needed to thank God for keeping the people and the country together especially, from 1999 to 2023 because the nation’s democracy had had many challenges.

“What happened since all these years destroyed other countries when it happened there but we are still living together as a people,” he said.

“It is not yet an uhuru, we are not there yet although a lot of progress have been made.

“Right now the right of people to vote and their votes be counted is there, so our democracy is being refined,” he said.

The former minister said that the country had recorded huge success in its electoral reform from inception to date.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to recruit competent hands into his cabinet to ensure unity, progress and security of the country. (NAN)