By Mashood Erubami
Twenty-eight years after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, the inherent victory of Chief M.K.O. Abiola across the length and breadth of Nigeria, was partly acknowledged by President Buhari administration about 2 years ago !
It behoves on all the stakeholders to move beyond the unmet demands from the then Military regimes that transferred power to the Civilian Government of President Obasanjo in 1999 and subsequent administrations that have been consolidating civil governance ever since.
The demands as Nigerians celebrate June 12, should be upgraded to start from call for genuine Democracy, true Federalism in its real forms, with power devolution, which will unbundle the federal government of its exclusive executive lists.
Fiscal Federalism that will authenticate control of revenues through a bottom- up approach, creation of State Police, putting Agriculture, Heath infrastructural facilities development, Education and Local Security under the states.
As Nigeria is dangerously moving towards the 2023 general elections, the demands for equity in the deannulment of June 12, should interrogate the totality of its unmet expectations which reside in the denial of the inherent victories.
Chief M.K.O Abiola in his vision before joining the Social Democratic Party, prepared vigorously and identified issues that he believed were the bane of the country’s development and was set to ‘uplift, rebuild and restore hopes’ of NIGERIANS with the purposes of saying ‘farewell to poverty’.
With the annulment, these hopes were lost, along with the Mandate including the key principles that were inherent in the election, namely, the avowed unity among Nigerian electorates across the country, the jettisoning of religious bigotry and ethnic alignment, the lost of opportunities of a first time in many years of transfer of political power from the North to the South and from the Military regimes to Civilian administration !
Painfully, the murder of Chief M.K.O. Abiola and his wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, the deaths by assassination of many Democrats who participated in the June 12 struggles were part of the irreparable losses from the annulment!
As we celebrate the 28th June 12, NIGERIANS are not yet satisfied with what had been granted so far because, the fundamental frameworks set to be achieved by June 12 in 1993 are yet to be seen achieved. 1993 was to be a year of hope fulfillment for the ethnic Nationalities, Youths, Women, and every Citizen, when it was planned that hunger and poverty were to be bade farewell.
Astonishingly, the hopes of NIGERIANS have continuously been dashed.
Good governance have not been their lot, Hunger and poverty’ are yet to leave the domains of NIGERIANS households. There is more disunity, ethnic rules and religious bigotry prevailed more than ever before!
Paradoxically, Nigeria is still being deceptively governed under Unitocracy, rather than true Federalism! For June 12 to be regained and properly celebrated, the Country must be set on the right paths of reconstruction, newness, rebirth, equity and Justice. Nigerians should collectively renewed the calls for upgraded demands
Against the past but partly met demands of the June 12 Stakeholders, the next celebration will begin with new calls for the posthumous celebration and honouring of other notable Personalities murdered in the June 12 struggle.
Demand for the payment of very huge compensation to the families of Chief Abiola for the loss of his businesses and lives. Above all, Demand to put the names of Basorun M.K.O. among past Head of State as a sign of reversal of the annulment.
Nigeria must be governed under true Federalism with unbiased devolution of powers, Fiscal Federalism, with the centre thoroughly unbundled. Delisting it’s exclusive list with all executive power on Agriculture, Health, Education and local security.
Nigerians must demand for true Democracy in the ‘Country where Corruption shall be vigorously and non-selectively fought and defeated. All the toes of Masterminders of corruption fights-backs, must be stepped on with their legs totally crushed!
The fight against Insecurity must become the collective obligations of the citizenry while the country’s economy must be liberated from the sway of it’s foreign Tormentors and Nigerian oppressors!
Demand for the naming of National Monuments after those who lost their lives in the June 12 struggles namely, ABIOLA’S WIFE, KUDIRAT, ALFRED REWANE? KEN SARO-WIWA, ALEX IBRU, BEKO RANSOME KUTI, ALAO AKA BASHORUN, Chief GANI FAWEHINMI, COMRADE Chima UBANI, PA ANTHONY ENAHORO, COMRADE OLA ONI, BABA OMOJOLA ETC. while those who annulled June 12 should be consigned into the dustbin of history, if God has not done so!
Democracy must therefore become not, a government of some people by some people, for some people and nothing for NIGERIANS !
Erubami, a development finance Expert, is the former president, Campaign for Democracy (CD), and President and Convener, Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS).
