Abiola’s associates relive memories of June 12

By Chimaobim Ihedi-Obi

Twenty-eight years after the annulment of June 12, 1993, presidential election, the memories of the epoch-making event are still fresh in the minds of associates of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the winner of the election.

Such memories came flooding back at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, during the launch of “Democracy and the Untold Story of June 12”, a book by Chief Abimbola Aboderin.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Tunji Bello is one of such associates of the late Abiola. The commissioner who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the event disclosed that he was one of Abiola’s aides. He said Nigerians are the ones who made June 12 possible because they defied religious, ethnic and regional barriers and voted for Abiola, but their votes were stolen.

Bello said the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the election unjustifiably, and for that reason, Nigerians had every right to protest and ask for the revaluation of that election. “If not for June 12, the democracy we have today wouldn’t have been possible,” he added.

On the protests witnessed in Lagos, Abuja and other major cities during the anniversary, the commissioner said protests are an exhibition and expression of democracy and that the authorities should not see it as anti-democracy. He said it is the right of citizens to protest if they are not satisfied. He added that people cannot always be satisfied, even if a society free of corruption, conflict amongst others.

His words: “Protest is an exhibition and expression of democracy, if you run a society that is free of corruption, free of conflict and the likes — I’m yet to see such a society — people will still be aggrieved.”

Bello said one of the remarkable things about the book is that Nigerians are being enriched by the history of democracy in the country and that they deserve to know what actually happened, so as to avoid such mistakes in the future.

He added: “We believe that this present generation should be allowed to understand and know more about it as well. So, for me, this book is one of the attempts made to register a proper history of Nigeria.”

Mike Osagie who reviewed the 289-page book said it captures the wisdom of sustainable wealth, the authors encounter with the late Abiola, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primary in Jos and all the political game that took place at the time. Osagie said the book also talks about the need to invest in quality education for children, as well as the power of Al Mustapha the then chief security officer to the late Head of State, General Abacha. He said any government that fails to invest in education is a failed government.

The author said June 12, 1993, presidential election remains the best election in the history of Nigeria and that it can be repeated if those in authority have the political will to make it happen. He said, “in everything we do, history is very important because the past embraces the future and nothing is new in this world”.

He added: “God made it possible for us to have the best election in Nigeria and we know that it is possible for us to have another like the one of June 12 which was the best election we have had in the history of this nation so far and it can be done again.”

Aboderin said the book was written in 1994, but he was reluctant to get it published because of the political atmosphere. He said it was not until June 12 officially became the nation’s “Democracy Day” that he summoned the courage to publish.

He said: “The book will let people know what really happened and how it happened and how they were able to win the convention in Jos, which was Abiola’s greatest problem and not the general election because there were more delegates from the North than the South.”