June 12: Will Buhari heed calls for Abiola’s immortalization?

In this report, Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, recalls the June 12 political struggle in the past two decades and wonders if President Muhammadu Buhari’s government will finally immortalise the winner of June 12 Presidential election, the late Bashorun MKO Abiola

As they have done yearly for over two decades now, eminent Nigerians again on Friday called on the Federal Government to immediately take steps to immortalize late Chief Moshood Kolawole Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Abiola, also known as MKO, who was the candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party, won the June 12 1993 Presidential Election by a landslide but the election was annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida-led junta. The annulment of the election elicited widespread protests across the country.

On June 11 1994, Mr. Abiola announced the formation of a Government of National Unity in Epetedo, Lagos. He was subsequently arrested by the Sani Abacha military regime. He died in mysterious circumstances in detention on July 7, 1998.

While numerous Nigerians across political, religious and tribal divides spent the day urging President Muhammadu Buhari to declare June 12 as the nation’s official Democracy Day, in place of May 29, in memory of Abiola’s victory and the resilience of June 12 struggle, many others want the new President to do what others before him failed to do by naming a national monument after the late politician.

Two years ago, the immediate past Goodluck Jonathan administration attempted to immortalize Abiola by announcing the renaming of the University of Lagos as Moshood Abiola University. But, in what must go down as one of the greatest ironies of Nigerian history, what should have marked the highpoint of nearly two decades of democratic struggle for the recognition of one of the most iconic symbols of Nigeria’s democratic journey was received with mixed feelings by many who had looked forward to such recognition.

And when the students of the institution rose against the renaming of their University, not even the civil society bloc, which has been in the vanguard of the agitation for the immortalisation of Abiola, bat an eyelid. Consequently, the Jonathan administration, tail between the leg, retraced its step and abandoned the attempt to change UNILAG to M.K.O Abiola University.

This year, to underscore the importance of Abiola’s contributions to the nation’s democracy and the need to constantly remember him as a national hero, four South West States of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun declared Friday, June 12 as a work free day as part of the 22nd year commemoration of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election presumed won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.

In a statement signed by Habib Aruna, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor said the date marked a watershed in the annals of transparent, free and fair elections in the country. He described June 12, 1993 as the day Nigerians voted in one voice across ethnic, racial and religious lines, saying it represented a day when Nigerians said no to voting along ethnic lines.

Similarly, Ogun State government the annual holiday is in honor of the late legendary son of the State, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election who fought for the democracy currently being enjoyed across the country. Also, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, said June 12 is significant and central to the development of democracy that the nation is now enjoying.

On Friday, across these states and many more, Nigerians gathered in halls and on open fields alike, not just to remember Abiola, but to continue the demand that he deserves a greater place in the records of the country than he currently enjoys. Though all the callers are united in their quest for the late politician to be immortalized, they differ in their opinion of how best it should be actualized.

But while those pushing for the immortalisation of Abiola say they will not give up the struggle even if it takes another twenty two years, many pundits are wondering if President Buhari will yield to the call, or whether he will simply join the number of Presidents who refused to see Abiola as befitting of such honor, in spite of his indisputable place in the democratic history of Nigeria.

Among those who led the call include Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare June 12 as Democracy Day in the country as a way of immortalizing Abiola. He insisted that what the nation presently enjoyed has its root in June 12. The Governor made this known during the June 12 rally at the Lagos Television Ground, Ikeja in Lagos, where he explained that the hope of the people was dashed when the June 12 election was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida.

According to him, “June 12 personifies our desire to liberate ourselves and take charge of our destiny. June 12 symbolises the patriotism of all Nigerians as the election fired up hope in the mind of the people. “Lagos has continued to be the hub of democratic ideas and we will continue to expand the frontiers of democratic governance and freedom of our people. June 12 should be declared the real democracy day,” he said.

Stressing that the outcome of the 2015 general elections is a testament to the fruitfulness of the June 12 movement, Ambode asserted that Nigerians owe it a duty to immortalise the memory of those who made this possible. This was as he assured that Nigeria would never forget Abiola and other martyrs of the June 12 debacle.

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, who was billed as the keynote speaker at another event, could not attend but sent a note that was read during the event. In his note, MSoyinka, praised the organizers for keeping the flag of the Abiola democratic legacy flying “despite the unrelenting efforts to expunge it from the chronicle of the nation”.

Speaking at the programme held at the residence of the late Abiola by The June 12 Movement, a political platform committed to the principle of popular democracy, former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, called on Buhari to rename Aso Rock in honor of M.K.O Abiola without delay.

“The place of Abiola in the history of Nigeria is very clear. Although successive administration refused to recognize him officially, Nigerians know and appreciate what he did for us all. In my candid opinion, it is not too much for President Buhari to make history by renaming Aso Rock as M.K.O Abiola Rock in honor of the man who laid down his life for us all to enjoy civil government today,” he said.

Professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, Akin Oyebode, who was the chairman of the occasion where Governor Ambode made his own call, said the day was a celebration of die-hard spirit of Abiola, his wife Kudirat and hundreds of Nigerians that were killed in protest of annulment of the freest and fairest election ever held in the country. He said it was sad and almost inconceivable that the politicians and the military decided to make May 29 Democracy Day.

“It must be said that without June 12, 1993, we would never have had May 29, 1999. We know that even as enemies of democracy try to thwart the idea, the sacrifice of MKO Abiola and of Nigerians who took to the streets should never be forgotten,” he said.

Oyebode added that it was unfortunate that the June 12 watershed has been ethnicised, with some states in the South west already marking it as a holiday, while others were still not bothered. He said it was also amazing that Nigeria named monuments in Abuja and Stadium in Kano after military junta Sanni Abacha, while Abiola has not been immortalized as so deserved.

“Abiola remains a hero, even as June 12 has conscientised Nigerians that no power or effort can stop the will of the people united. MKO Abiola is the precursor of the ‘change’ we have today, given his idea of ‘farewell to poverty.’ To continue to ethnicise such date is a disservice to Nigeria. I think the time is now ripe for Nigeria to demonstrate their commitment to democracy and truly declare June 12 as a national holiday,” he said.

Apparently in agreement with earlier numerous others across the country, Human Right Lawyer, Femi Falana, said the onus was on Federal Government to immortalize the true heroes of Nigeria’s democracy.

Falana said: “This day (June 12) must be a national day and be declared a national holiday.”

He appealed to Lagos State to further champion the course of deepening democracy, by ensuring that living heroes and heroines of June 12 struggle are not forgotten.

Abdulmumuni Abiola, one of the children of the late politician, spoke what might be the mind of the Abiola family when he said the significance of the MKO Abiola tribute was to help coming generations remember the role his father played in the actualisation of democracy in the country and to help Nigerians avoid making the same mistakes all over again.

“For me it is another way of remembering the sacrifices that have been made in the past because that is another way of we can avoid making the same mistakes again. If you don’t remember your past you’re bound to make the same mistakes. It is a way of honouring my father and the role he played in bringing democracy to the country,” Abdulmumuni said.

To human rights activist, Moshood Erubami, recognizing the late Abiola as a winner of the June 12 1993 election by the Buhari administration would be the greatest step towards immortalizing the late politician. According to him, Buhari should make good use of the opportunity presented to him by his own recent election victory which is a re-incarnation of the principle of oneness of Nigerians witnessed during the June 12, 1993 election.

“This administration should organize a special posthumous installation ceremony where the late Abiola would be officially recognized as a former President of Nigeria. This posthumous ceremony should be organized in conjunction with the family of the late Abiola and members of the human rights and pro-democracy community that fought gallantly for the de-annulment of that election and it should be witnessed by governors of the states that constitute the Southwest and other guests from across the nation. It is important that the event is broadcasted live on television and radio all over the world.

This should be followed by the inclusion of his names and photographs in the list of former Heads of State. This is because the election of President Buhari on March 28 came with big joy that the ruling political tormentors were not power drunk and driven by their unethical credentials to annul the election, it should therefore open the door for the execution of all the good tidings resident in the June 12, 1993 presidential election as it were,” Erubami suggested.

A former political assistant to the late Abiola, Olu Akerele, who has remained unrelenting in his advocacy for the official recognition of what he describes as “the democratic martyrdom of MKO Abiola as the icon of the current democracy and his posthumous declaration as president-elect of Nigeria”, also used the day to reach out to President Buhari to do the needful by immortalizing Abiola.

In a press statement in Abuja, Akerele said “for a man who selflessly martyred himself and whose blood watered the tree of the very democracy that we enjoy today, declaring him president-elect posthumously and recognizing the day that symbolizes his political struggle will not be too much to assuage his spirit and to give proper repose to the soul of such political icon.”

He maintained that “the late icon of democracy (whose pan-Nigerian and cross-cultural electoral victory on June 12 remains a watershed in the democratic learning experience of Nigeria) was conspiratorially martyred on July 07, 1998, after four years of incarceration by the military junta of the late General Sani Abacha”.

He said as “true democrats, pro-democracy activists, Nigerians and Nigeria remember the late Chief MKO Abiola on June 12.”

He renewed his annual appeal to the ruling political administration of President Buhari “to do the needful and the long overdue, namely give Abiola the deserved honour,” appealing that the late doyen be invested with the highest title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic(GCFR) reserved only for Nigerian presidents”.

He argued that the late politician not only won the freest and fairest election, but that his name currently symbolizes the struggle to end military dictatorship and the crusade to install democracy in Nigeria.

“Abiola built bridges across ethnic, regional, religious and political divides,” Mr. Akerele said. “Today marks the twenty-second anniversary of the annulment of the one and only election still adjudged to be the freest and fairest in Nigeria, the June 12 Presidential Election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.”

During a breakfast of prayers and tributes to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the annulment of the election, at the graveside of the late Abiola, the June 12 Movement called on President Buhari to recognise the late winner of the annulled 1993 Presidential Election, Moshood Abiola, as a former president of the country. The Co-ordinator of the of the group, Wale Okunniyi, said Abiola is the face of democracy in the country and deserves to be so immortalised.

Okunniyi said President Buhari should also name at least one monument in all states of the federation and Abuja after Mr. Abiola to immortalise him. “Democracy must give priority to the people. President Buhari should make MKO Abiola the face of democracy. He must recognise MKO Abiola as a former President,” he said.

He said the government should compensate the Abiola’s family for the collapse of his businesses while he was in detention. He decried the neglect of the family by past governments saying Abiola sacrificed his life and businesses for politicians today who are now enjoying the trappings of political offices. He therefore called on Buhari to appoint one of Abiola’s children to a prominent political position.

“Just look at the state of this compound. I’m not happy with what I’m seeing. Past governments have neglected the Abiola family. Abiola sacrificed his life and business for the democracy they enjoy today. He left wives and children and nobody is catering for them. President Buhari must make sure one of them (Abiola’s children) is appointed into his government to compensate the family,” he said.

Okunniyi also said June 12 is the real Democracy Day and should have been so recognised by the government instead of May 29 as it is currently being celebrated. He said the group would send a letter to Buhari demanding that June 12 be made the official Democracy Day. He announced that the June 12 movement is working on a plan to set up a foundation in the name of Abiola and promised that the foundation will be launched by Buhari.

Introducing a different dimension to the remembrance, Pan-Yoruba association, Afenifere Renewal Group, slammed Abiola’s running mate in the annulled June 12, 1993 election, Babagana Kingibe, for his recent comment over the election. Kingibe had said recently that the victory of the All Progressives Congress had put to rest the ghost of June 12.

However, the ARG described the June 12 struggle as an albatross for those who betrayed its cause, particularly Kingibe. The group, in a statement by its publicity secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, said Kingibe, who, some days ago, reportedly wants the “ghost of June 12 laid to rest” on account of APC’s victory in the last presidential election, has an antecedent that disqualifies him “from commenting on or identifying with the success of a democratic campaign.”

The statement read, “As the vice-president elect, Kingibe ought to have been the captain of the ship for the June 12 struggle when Chief M.K.O Abiola was arrested but he was the first to jump ship. The ARG understands that Kingibe may have missed being in the corridors of power and may be itching to have a voice that could be reckoned with as credible – therefore, his wish to have June 12 ‘laid to rest’.

“Kingibe’s undemocratic and treacherous antecedents disqualify him from commenting on or identifying with the success of a democratic campaign. Instead of wishing that June 12 be forgotten, it is better for him to retrace his steps and purge himself of ethnocentric perspectives.”

The group described June 12 as a watershed in Nigeria’s annals which should forever be remembered. The Yoruba group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to formally recognise the June 12 mandate and honour those who lost their lives to the struggle.

While the effort of those agitating for the immortalisation of Abiola is commendable, uncertainty pervades the air as to what would be the likely reaction of the new government to the calls that have been on for over a decade now. Also, questions are being asked on how the new national assembly would handle the agitation for the recognition of the man acclaimed to have died for Nigeria to enjoy democratic rule.