June 12: Return of the locusts

By Reuben Abati

IN SPITE of all the attempts to bury June 12, to lock it away in a hidden corner of Nigerian historiography and replace it with other symbols in a fit of revisionism, what that date stands for has refused to go away, its symbolism has gained fresh currency in the light of the somersaults in the Nigerian political arena. We are compelled to look backwards and June 12, 1993, that special day when Nigerians for the first time spoke in unison in a free and fair election and exploded certain myths about their politics, stands tall in the horizon. May 29 which former President Olusegun Obasanjo turned into Nigeria's Democracy Day, and which his successor has inherited is not the turning point of contemporary Nigerian history, rather it is June 12. It was the politics of June 12, 1993 and its aftermath that made it possible for Obasanjo to emerge as President.

It was the mandate that MKO Abiola, the undeclared winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, was not allowed to claim that was handed over to Obasanjo six years later after spirited protests and struggle by the progressive forces and their international allies. Because Abiola was Yoruba, Nigerians under a power rotation formula and for the sake of peace agreed to zone the Presidency in 1999 to the South West. Obasanjo was the beneficiary even if his own people did not think that he deserved the prize. Yet, Obasanjo in and out of power has shown no gratitude to MKO Abiola and all the other men and women who laid down their lives in order to get the military out of power. Was it not Obasanjo who declared that MKO Abiola was not the "messiah that Nigeria was looking for?" May be.

But he, Obasanjo was no messiah either. In eight years, Obasanjo did nothing to honour the memory of MKO Abiola: a man who won a Presidential election that was considered free and fair, and whose only offence was that he insisted on the sanctity of the people's vote. He was incarcerated by the Abacha junta and he died in their custody under very cloudy circumstances. General Obasanjo was advised at every turn to honour MKO Abiola post-humously or to even acknowledge his place in Nigerian history. He refused. Everything was done by the central government under Obasanjo's watch to reduce June 12 to an ethnic, Yoruba platform, a South West phenomenon that was undeserving of the attention of the central government.

The truth: June 12 was a national phenomenon which spoke directly to all the afflictions of the Nigerian state and the urgent need for progress and growth. On the question of June 12 and its symbolism, President Yar'çdua has also been playing the Obasanjo game. He is silent about it, although ironically, among the forces that propelled Abiola to victory was the political machinery of his late brother, General Shehu Yar'çdua. Today is June 12, the third anniversary of June 12 since President Yar'çdua assumed office and power.

His imitation of General Obasanjo on the question of June 12 is a bad act. He should stop playing possum. Ten years after Nigeria's return to civilian rule and 16 years after the momentous presidential election, the annulment of which became the military's nemesis, the authors of the crisis and those who have benefitted from it have been behaving like the ostrich. IBB, the man under whose watch the election was annulled has been fibbing about the event. President Yar'çdua must stay apart from the anti-June 12 gang. The annulment of the June 12, 1993 election was a brazen violation of the rule of law.

The killing of pro-democracy protesters, the detention, torture and murder of innocent persons, the torching of newspaper houses, the theft of Nigerian resources by corrupt soldiers, the harrassment of ordinary citizens - all of these were abuses of the rule of law. President Yar'çdua says he is an apostle of the rule of law. On May 29, 1999, a civilian government assumed office and the military left the scene, but all of that was the product of a compromise. The original expression of the people's sovereignty is represented by the June 12 process. Addressing the June 12 issue is a leadership challenge for President Yar'çdua. This does not require the art of necromancy or waking up all the souls that perished so that Nigeria could return to democratic rule. Obama in speaking heartily to the Moslem world has shown an example of what leadership is all about. Yar'çdua needs not make more than a speech, and he needs not do more than ensuring that the names of June 12 heroes feature prominently in this year's National Honours List. That will be a refreshing change for once.

Amnesia is a terrible affliction in Nigeria's official corridors. In a country where history is not taught in many schools, it is not impossible that many of the children who were born in 1993, now 16 years old and waiting to go off to university, may not know anyone called MKO Abiola or all the other heroes living and dead, who suffered so that Nigeria could have peace. If the dead could speak, MKO Abiola would ask: so this is what it is all about? Even the living who witnessed the struggle that saw the military out of power and who stood at the barricades to insist on the rule of law are wondering: so, is this what we fought for? It is this disappointment that makes June 12 all the more relevant. In October 1995, Fr. George Ehusani had written a famous piece titled "Never Again!".

The piece is published in his collection of essays titled Nigeria: Years Eaten By The Locust (Kraft Books, 2002). Fr. George wrote as follows: "Never again shall we sit back and watch while such vengeful locusts devastate our only homeland. Never again shall we fold our arms and feign helplessness while a tiny clique of malevolent conspirators parcel among themselves our future and our fortune. Never again shall we adopt a cynical disposition of "siddon look" while a few callous usurpers take over the total control of our nation's sovereignty. Never again shall we be caught napping while the merchants of death dislodge the people's vote and take over the reign (sic) of power in our land. Never again shall we as a people comply with the triumph of mediocrity and the celebration of insanity. Never again shall we aid and abet in any way the enthronement of base propaganda and banal manipulation. Never again shall we respond with guilty silence when our national peace is challenged by reckless plunderers and mindless looters... Never again shall civil society go to sleep while armed bandits like termites in transit besiege the king's court and threaten to desecrate the entire empire...."

Fr. George was responding to the failures of the Nigerian state not only under the military but since independence. He hoped that the people, given their resolve as at 1995, would never again allow the reign of "autocracy, buffoonery, profligacy, imbecility, sycophancy, complicity and primordial tyranny" in the land. And so he proclaimed: Never Again! But in the last 10 years we have seen just how tough the Nigerian situation is and how so little progress has been made, and how the phrase "never again" is a difficult proposition in Nigeria. The optimism of the progressives has been dashed. The locusts have since returned and they are in good business, malevolent conspirators have been parcelling "among themselves our future and our fortune", most of the people are adopting a siddon look attitude, the looting of the treasury has continued apace, the merchants of death have not only been stealing the people's vote, they have also been killing and kidnapping. For 10 years, we have been celebrating insanity. Reckless plunderers and mindless looters have taken over the land and civil society is sleeping off. And yet these were the evils that the pro-democracy coalition fought against.

We have now reached a stage where all the people who lost their loved ones, all the persons who suffered because they wanted the rule of democracy are now asking: so what was it all about? Which is why the next struggle before the people is to return to the symbolism of June 12 and its principles: the need for credible and transparent elections in Nigeria, or what is now known as electoral reform, the need also for justice and fairness, and more importantly, how to rescue Nigeria from the traitors. Where does President Yar'çdua stand in all of this?

Robot  # 1 | 12.06.2009 06:07

We have now reached a stage where all the people who suffered because they wanted the rule of democracy are now asking: so what was it all about? Where does President Yar'çdua stand in all of this? ...Read the full article.

Peace8314  # 2 | 12.06.2009 09:41

I think there really needs to be a closer observation given to this Particular topic on the June 12 popular election. I am still surprised and up-hauled at the indifferent attitude given towards it by our current government. In most civilized society all those who have given their lives for a civil and just cause are mightily remembered and even offered a memorable day. To even deny this a mention in our history books is hypocrisy at its peek. We really need to give this a second look and perhaps integrate it into the Nigerian history so that generations to come will have some type of reference.

Abatakan  # 3 | 12.06.2009 10:17

l promise not to respond to Mr.Reuben but like the locust,can`t help it,firstly do not skip history by jumping to June12 and proclaims it was the birth of our democracy,No and if memory serves me right,there was a gentleman called Awolowo that was widely acclaimed to have won (remeber that election) but due to individuals that do not want our country to prosper(the rest we know is history) and to take you on your point that we do not know history in Nigeria,unbelieveable that you can come out with such statement (and l know cos l was there,for you to pass history in W.A.E.C you need,Nigeria as a compulsory and if you are from the south and it will be indicated by your name,your choice is Igbo or Hausa,then the west africa and europe is compulsory ,so if an educated commentator can come out that we do not know our history,sad day,and yes back to point.MKO is not here to defend himself,the reason MKO was never the anointed one for the Yorubas is they never forgave him for joining NPN,and the most important one was when ordinary Nigerians were dying for his cause,all he was doing was going round BBC proclaiming his mandate,IFand l stress if MKO had gone to Nigeria and claim his mandate,we will not have the present situation,but eh it`s IF.

kalu31  # 4 | 12.06.2009 11:23

i am with Colin Powell on June 12, forget about it and move on. come on Nigeria, enough already, its 17 years or so. June 12, June 12....... what about the guys that were disqualified for Abiola and Tofa to contest? haba we got over Nigeria losing to Italy in 1994, we got over the Civil war, pls lets move on. haba!

Agidimolaja  # 5 | 13.06.2009 04:47

Rueben Abati,Sir, Why are you asking for the moon? Why did you expect Obj to remember and honour June 12? He cannot. Have you forgotten that those who were behind the dubious act of June 12 were the same people that arrested,detained and later killed MKO? Have you also forgotten that it was the same sect of murderers,wheelers and shakers that hand-picked Obj and installed him as President? What then did you expect Obj to do if not to play the game according to his kingmakers' rules? This is why we should pity Obj for his lack of performance instead of cursing him. Obj was surrounded by pack of felines Obj tried his best to do the right thing but those devils that installed him took it upon themselves to clog up his wheel of progress and make nonsense of his spirited efforts.He should have known better. His supporters and those who financed him were and still are treasury looters and nation wreckers. Those who forced Obj upon this nation were those who created monumental problems for the nation.They are the ones who would not like to see this nation progressed.They are the ones who stole all the money Obj allocated for the nations infrastructures{electricity,roads etc} and Obj was quite powerless to collide head-on with the bigger thieves hence he picked the soft targets. Trust me,the bigger rouges were too big for Obj and he{Obj} knew that he could not win a fight against them. The mistake of Obj was that he should not have agreed to become the President in1999.He ought to know then that he is not stronger enough to withstand those who are nominating him.He should have allowed a better Yorubaman to take the Presidency, moreso that, he was just fresh from out of jailhouse,still weak and disoriented by the pangs of prison. It should be noted that if Yorubas were to be placated with the Presidency,Obj was not the best choice of Yorubas hence he was rejected at the polls even in his own ward.He should not have jumped on the dubious offer that eventually turned him outto be a laughing stock .Poor Obj! MKO and June 12 deserved to be remembered and greatly honoured but those mafias behind the June 12 show of shame would not allow it. As for MKO Abiola,may God rest his soul. Once upon a time,he was Hausa/Fulani's stooge.He ran errands for them.He wined and dined with them.He lavished so much money on them. Worst of all,he actively participated in the dubious acts of preventing Obafemi Awolowo from becoming the President in 1979.He and few others including,Akinjide,Akinloye etc became shameless sellouts. Rumour has it that MKO eventually came back and apologised to the Sage. I heard that he was forgiven. Papa Awo may have forgiven flambouyant MKO but I doubt it if Yorubas' ancestors forgave him. Papa Awo may have forgiven MKO but, I doubt it if Divine Providence forgave him ,hence he suffered such fate. As we mourn for MKO and his June 12 stolen mandate,let us also not forget MKo's other side of the coin.

Chyval  # 6 | 13.06.2009 09:05

Abiola would not have been the answer to Nigeria problem. he was the most corrupt individual then. talk of ITT, Abiola sponsored of all the military coup from 1966 till then. Perhaps, if abiola is still alive there might have been series military coup. Because facilitated coups whenever he feels his presidential ambition was threatened. He was so selfish that he does not care about whose ox was gored. Maybe God saved Nigeria by not allowing MKO to become president. MKO was one of most corrupt individuals and until we get some people executed in this country, we can’t get anywhere in the fight against corruption. Corruption stares us in the face and we are not fighting corruption the way we need to do it. Ghana made sacrifice with 13 of their leaders executed. We need to do something like that too to make progress as a nation. Those milking us dry in this country are not up to 5,000. We are a country of over 140 million and we can afford to loose just a few thousands to get Nigeria going forward.

emenanjo  # 7 | 13.06.2009 16:38

I think Nigerians have not heard the last reason for that annulment, Pascal Bafyau, a former labour leader, has just given us another one: that it was annuled because Abiola and/ or the SDP did not choose him as the running mate as was agreed on by the top echelon of military! Wonders shall never end! All hail Lord luggard for his great almagamation.

Igboamaeze  # 8 | 13.06.2009 16:49

Let nobody kid himself that June 12 cannot happen again. For as long Nigeria remains so badly and unfairly structured and dominated by a section of the country, for so long shall June repeat itself. Let's remake Nigeria...