As Nigerians commemorate Democracy Day today and the 33rd anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M.K.O.) Abiola but annulled by former military president, retired General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the occasion offers yet another rare opportunity for the nation to reflect deeply on her democratic journey since the return to civilian dispensation on May 29, 1999.
Though coming 14 days after the country recorded an encouraging 27 years of unbroken democratic rule, considering its infamous decades-long grip by military regimes, we strongly demand that the anniversary should serve as a wake-up call on the political elites to view democracy henceforth beyond the conduct of elections by the electoral umpire and recommit themselves to druving good governance, ensure accountability, socio-economic development, improved welfare for citizens and security of lives and properties of the people.
However, it is regrettable that insecurity, poverty, unemployment, citizens welfare, dearth of basic infrastructures which apparently informed Chief Abiola’s presidential campaign mantra , “HOPE ‘93”, anchored on the promise to “banish poverty” in Nigeria, forge national cohesion from diverse ethnic, religious and regional divides as well as qualitative life, have remain largely unfulfilled in the nation’s political trajectory with existential threats from terrorists, bandits, deadly herders, kidnappers and other violent criminal gangs.
No doubt in our view, one of the major lessons of the cancelled presidential poll is that the voice of the people expressed through a popular ballot must be sacrosanct and respected at all times and no government in power should make any attempt to thwart the will of the electorate.
Such will certainly be resisted by the people alongside its devastating negative and horrific consequences. It’s no exaggeration that Nigeria is yet to recover fully from the repercussions of the annulled poll, following the fierce fight for the revalidation by citizens which resulted in the death of many including the winner of that election, Abiola, his wife Alhaja Kudirat also of blessed memory and others.
We recall vividly that the billionaire business icon Abiola, the acclaimed symbol of the struggle for democracy and perceived by many as the liberator of the masses from the grip of military junta, of the then Social Democratic Party, SDP, received massive support from the electorate, when he polled 8,341,309 votes, representing 58.36 percent of the over 14 million votes cast in the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, securing a broad national spread, winning 19 states and the FCT through an open ballot system where voters queued publicly behind the posters of their chosen candidate and defeated his rival, National Republican Convention (NRC)’s Bashir Tofa who garnered 5,952,087 votes or (41.64%).
Significantly, that exercise was described as the nation’s freest poll since independence in October 1960, and gave no room for manipulation of votes by the electoral umpire despite the massive turnout and peaceful process, even though the military regime of Babangida aborted final collation, announcement of winner before annulling the results which was later trailed by fierce resistance from Abiola, pro-democracy groups like the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, led by the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin, former governor of Ondo State, doubled as apex pan-Yoruba organization, Afenifere and NADECO leader as well as millions of Nigerians who demanded the revalidation.
Sadly, this was not to be despite the loss of many lives and properties worth billions of naira, before Babangida stepped aside to pave the way for an Interim National Government, ING, headed by the late Ernest Shonekan. He was later overthrown by another dictator, Late Sani Abacha and succeeded by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who finally handed over power to the civilians in 1999. In what seems like taking medicine after death, the Minna-born general admitted decades later in his book, “A Journey in Service”, that Abiola won the election just as the ghost of the criminal annulment still hunts the country today.
Therefore, it is a compelling imperative that all stakeholders in the electoral process ranging from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the government, security agencies, electorate, legislature, the judiciary and civil society organizations should at all times be mindful of the fact that the current democratic dispensation didn’t come on a platter of gold but won with the blood of many Nigerians who paid the supreme price to terminate military dictatorship and enthrone good governance and strict adherence to the rule of law. This must not be taken for granted.
In other words, as the country moves closer to another general election, the cancellation should serve as a reminder to all active participants, the electorate and all government institutions especially INEC, that no stone must left unturned to ensure that the disaster of June 12, 1993 is never repeated by conducting free, fair and credible elections in which every vote will count and be counted real time as was the case some 33 years ago despite the fact that the electronic transmission of election results has not been made mandatory under the current amended Electoral Act.
So, unlike the glitch experienced in the 2023 presidential election, Nigerians expect that electoral integrity must be protected by the umpire at all cost, with adequate cybersecurity for the servers and the result viewing portal, IReV as it intensifies preparations for the 2027 elections.
We further challenge the Prof Joash Amupitan SAN leadership of INEC not to bow to pressure from any quarter but emulate the uncommon courage of of one of his predecessors in office, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, the 1993 electoral chief who defied threats to his life and stood firm on the side of law and truth during the conduct of the forthcoming polls in order to leave a legacy of credible and peaceful polls on the sands of time and make the exercise the best ever conducted in Nigeria’s history.
Again, both the politicians and the electorate have the onerous responsibility to shun the evil of vote-buying and money politics even as we frown with the recent heavy monetization of the political space with presidential nomination and expression of interest forms costing a whopping N100million, in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which unfortunately lays a foundation for corruption in the near future for prospective party candidates and eventual winners in the general election. It is also absolutely certain too, that elected public office holders would first recoup their investment before settling down for real overnance when they assume office.
Besides, the political gladiators should realize that the diversity of ideas that makes multi-party democracy most appropriate for a plural society like Nigeria should not be jettisoned or compromised on the altar of opportunistic political re-alignment, selfish and parochial interest that had been the case since the commencement of the Fourth Republic but which assumed worrisome dimension in the past couple of months with governors, federal and state lawmakers dumping their parties for the ruling APC Therefore, opposition political parties should be committed to deepening multiple-party democracy through ideology-based parties, effective organization and mobilization that will enhance alternative political platforms since democracies thrive best when there is virile and robust opposition.
There is also no doubting the fact that the judiciary and the legislature been the remaining arms of democratic government, through their respective leadership should take necessary steps to restore waning public confidence in the court as the last hope of the common man while our lawmakers must strive hard to perform their constitutional responsibilities of not only working as effective check on the executive through oversight functions, accountability, and adequate representation but demonstrate a more, patriotic and genuine commitment to the task of democratic consolidation as an immediate, medium and long-term obligation in order for citizens to reap the full dividends of democracy including adequate security of lives and properties, affordable food, housing, education and healthcare as well as drastic improvement in living standards.
Most importantly, President Bola Tinubu under his Renewed Hope Agenda, governors and local government chairmen, more than any previous administration have onerous responsibility to make Nigeria work through the institutionalization of a genuine federal structure where people can undertake their legitimate businesses without fear of being kidnapped, killed or oppressed in line with Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution which makes the welfare and protection of citizens as the primary purpose of government.
For a better society
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