Leadership (Abuja)
Wahab Oyedokun
25 June 2008
column
Abuja — On May 29th 2008,Nigeria celebrated National Democracy Day. It was a public holiday and the 9th in the series. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo had instituted May 29th of every year as Democracy Day in Nigeria. This declaration has not gone unchallenged by the critical segments of the Nigerian society - the media, civil society and a section of the political class. These groups largely believe that May 29th does not eminently qualify as a democracy day for Nigeria.
They agreed that although it was the last terminal date of military rule in Nigeria, they insist that it was just a culmination of an arranged political process for a predetermined outcome; a product of a carefully crafted political process by the departing military political elite, in consultation with their civilian counterparts to appease a section of the country widely acknowledged to have been wronged by thoughtless annulment of the presidential election of June 12 1993- the freest, most peaceful and most credible election ever held in the history of Nigeria.
The May 29th 1999 hand-over had ushered in a retired military general, a civil war hero and a former head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo. On the contrary, the June 12 election produced millionaire extraordinaire, philanthropist, a genius, a multi-perspective thinker, celebrated African chief and promoter of reparation cause, the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. Before his election, Abiola had established himself as the greatest philanthropist in Africa, leaving no sector of life untouched in his unparalleled philanthropy.
Incidentally, both Abiola and Obasanjo were class mates at Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta. Both were from humble backgrounds. Abiola's exceptional brilliance, however, stood him out comparatively. Obasanjo also had a successful career in the military culminating in his ascendancy to the position of head of state pursuant to the unfortunate assassination of the preceding head of state, a more popular, widely acclaimed General Murtlala Muhammed. Obasanjo was recruited for the 1999 presidential post by the Northern political establishment bearing in mind the fact that he shared the same roots with Abiola. So, the argument of the mainstream pressure groups is that June 12, rather than May 29th, should be declared Democracy Day. They see May 29 as merely a date of political atonement for the unjustified annulment of the June 12 election.
Obasanjo was a wrong candidate to declare June 12 as a Democracy Day. Following the furore generated by the annulment of June 12 election, Obasanjo had declared in far away Harare that Abiola was not the Messiah Nigeria was waiting for, a statement made to undermine the re-validation of the annulled presidential poll. When the House of Representatives under Ghali Na'aba passed a resolution urging the federal government to rename the newly constructed Abuja National Stadium after Moshood Abiola, Obasanjo's men in the presidency swiftly issued a statement claiming that renaming the stadium after Abiola would undermine its pecuniary worth. But these are just two incidents (and there are several others) to support the widely held view that Obasanjo was not well disposed to Abiola even in death.
But there was a third angle to the debate. Some are of the opinion that it was unnecessary to declare a separate date as a Democracy Day since Nigeria has already earmarked October 1st as independence day (Nigeria attained independence on October 1st 1960.) General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the successor to the maximum ruler, the late Sani Abacha was placed under the necessity of presiding over the shortest political transition programme in Nigerian history. The political class had become increasingly distrustful of the military and therefore was not prepared to give General Abubakar opportunity to settle down and consolidate as this might help him to prolong his stay in power. Such was the circumstances of the time that rather than fixing the hand over date for October 15t 1999, May 29th was the handover date. This group believes, therefore, that May 29th was a child of circumstances and as such, October 1st is preferred as a Democracy Day.
Where do I stand in all these? I was not yet born during the first republic. I voted during the June 12 and 1999 presidential elections. I have carefully studied Nigerian history, culture and people. I am widely traveled across the length and breadth of Nigeria. I understand the geographical, cultural and religious sensibilities of the Nigerian people. The first question to ask is does it really matter if any of these dates is declared a democracy day. On October 1st 1960, the British lowered the Union Jack and handed over to elected civilian government of Abubakar T. Balewa.
If the June 12 election had not been invalidated, Ibrahim Babangida had set August 2ih 1993 as the hand over date. In order words, Moshood Abiola would have entered Aso Rock as the elected president of Nigeria on that date. The people's attachment to June 12 as Democracy Day, therefore, derives its legitimacy from the annulment of that election would have necessarily overshadowed it. But June 12 enjoyed other national landmarks. Apart from being the most peaceful, freest, most credible and most acceptable presidential election in the country, the result broke ethnic and religious solidarity lines as it produced two muslims as president and vice president-elects. It was also the first time a Southerner ever won a national election beating his Northern opponent in his (opponent's) home state of Kano. The election also saw Bashir Tofa winning in some Southern states also. Nigeria seemed to have at last matured politically overcoming ethnic and religious prejudices which had shaped our political life before then.
Thus, Moshood Abiola, despite Obasanjo's pretentious posturing enjoys a unique privilege of being the only Nigerian ever elected in a free and fair election. Umaru Yar'Adua in his characteristic candour shocked the partisan chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Maurice Iwu, when he declared the election that brought him to power as flawed. Obasanjo cannot be honest enough to admit same. Shehu Shagari would remember the protracted legal battle that trailed the administrative somersault of Federal Electoral Commission's decision to apply the 12 2/3 formula to declare him president in 1979. Democracy was still locked in tribal competition in the first republic, as elections were rigged in favour of all the regional parties within their domains.
But as stated earlier, all these became issues because the June 12 election was annulled. August 27th would have been more significant.
May 29 as Democracy Day enjoys support only from tiny political elite who were part of or benefited from the annulment of June 12 presidential election. They want to consign issues pertaining to June 12 to the dustbin of history. Babangida's federal attorney-general had ignorantly threatened the public that a decree was in the offing to penalise any body who mentioned or discussed June 12 in public. To mention June 12, therefore, is to remind them of their past iniquities; to incite the public against them as this would remind the public of the ignominious role they played at the time in the service of dictatorship. Some collected money for endless and fruitless image launderings abroad; others organised solidarity rallies and media briefings in different parts of the country; some others provided logistics for the persecution and assassination of pro-democracy activists. But they were generously rewarded for their treachery-ministerial and ambassadorial appointments, allocation of oil blocs and juicy contracts as well as appointments into boards and parastatals. As long as there is a preponderance of this group in our political establishment, June 12 or any issue associated with it would not receive careful consideration.
Yet, the search continues. But which date is most appropriate for Democracy Day? I believe there is another stronger contender to the claim. It is debatable if this date was not most suitable than others being presently canvassed. If democracy is to be defined by the defeat of tyranny by the popular will, May 16, 2006, the date on which the greatest assault on democracy ever committed against democracy in Nigeria was aborted ought to be declared the Democracy day. This was the day Obasanjo's life presidency project was defeated on the floor of the Senate. Is it not a coincidence that Obasanjo is a recurring decimal in all the permutations on ideal date for Democracy day in Nigeria? It was Obasanjo's destiny to hand over to a democratically elected President on October 1st 1979, (l9th anniversary of the independence). It was also his fortune to accept the instrument of power as president on May 29, 1999. But Obasanjo planned to stretch his luck too far. He and his handlers believed that he was the Messiah Nigeria of their dream was awaiting.
He must stay beyond the two-term limits prescribed by the Constitution. His compromised supporters in the National Assembly had argued that there was no need for term limits as the electorate is the ultimate decider of electoral outcome. It was most obvious that they did not believe themselves. If the Constitution was amended to accommodate his selfish desires, nobody except God can defeat Obasanjo at the polls. No effort was spared to achieve this. All the instruments of power were carefully and optimally coordinated in the service of tenure elongation. Governors Alameyesiagha, Ladoja, Dariye were impeached without due process. This was meant to beat other Governors into line and it worked. No governor, except Tinubu and Orji Kalu, ever dared Obasanjo agam. Nigeria had descended into full blown dictatorship. Earlier on, Governor Ngige had been abducted in a must absurd manner but with a covert presidential endorsement. It was no surprise when he became the first governor ever to be removed by the election petition tribunal.
He lost not mainly because the election that produced him was flawed but because he did not enjoy any presidential cover like some other governors whose elections were similarly rigged. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) which had hitherto enjoyed popular support from the masses suddenly became partisan hounding the sitting vice president and his supporters across party lines. Obasanjo's friends were having a field day on the economy. Their economic crimes were either glossed over or even when investigated, like Bode George's, no action followed. In the process billions of naira was distributed to some members of National Assembly to compromise them. The funds moved round without detection from the prying eyes of Nuhu Ribadu. Bode George, Nasiru Mantu and Andy Uba were the overall coordinators of the project. The stakes were high. The monied elite who had benefited from generous but illegal customs duties waivers and concessioning of national assets at give away prices came to their assistance.
Since June 12 cannot be possibly declared for the reasons advanced earlier, we may push for May 16th, the day that gave us today. The day that sealed the hopes of past and future tenure- extenders (and this include Gowon, Babangida and Abacha and of course, Obasanjo) that Nigeria was not a Banana Republic. The day that is providing us the opportunity to see the rot that characterised, Obasanjo's years in various sectors including power, petroleum ,aviation, privatization etc. Without this day, Chief Obasanjo would have continued and died in office and Nigeria might have been interned alongside in his grave.
Barrister Wahab Oyedokuna writes from Abuja
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