25 years later…

by Faith kordoo

Some believe that the political racketeering, uncontrollable corruption, high crime rate, various forms of insurgency, continuous economic meltdown, crumbling educational system among other ills in this country are punishments or old debts for that one mistake of 1993.

In Nigeria, been born after 1993 isn’t an excuse to be ignorant of the great incident which occurred on the 12th of June, 1993. Actually, being an adult Nigerian citizen and having no knowledge of that phenomenal occurrence should be an historical crime.

June 12, 1993 as history and facts have it, is the day that the first presidential elections since the 1983 military coup was held. It was Nigeria’s first real shot at pure democracy. It was the day Nigerians pulled down the ethnic and religious barriers and voted in one accord, in tandem with one voice. On that day, 25 years ago, a free and fair election was conducted in Nigeria and Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (M.K.O Abiola) emerged winner. Abiola was the people’s choice and a nation wide celebration ensued but this celebration did not last long as the nationally and internationally recognized election was annulled on 12th of June, 1993 by then military leader, retired General Ibrahim Babangida.

25 years on, the country is yet to boast of another free and fair election. We’d never know how far this country would have gone with Abiola as president, we’d never know how that annulled election would have shaped this country.

But we do that 25 years later, M.K.O Abiola who was denied the chance to be a president, the man who was detained for 4 years in relative solitary confinement with a Bible, Qur’an and 14 guards as companions whose sole condition for release was that he should renounce his mandate which he refused. Abiola, the man whose wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola was assassinated on the 4th of June, 1996. M.K.O Abiola the man who died amidst various conspiracies on the day he was to he releases, 7th of July, 1998 got immortalized and awarded a post-humors title of the highest order , the Grand Commander Of The Federal Republic(GCOFR).

25 years later, June 12 got declared as Democracy Day.

 

This article was written by Faith kordoo

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