Apart from the Nigerian Civil War and the events immediately leading up to it, perhaps nothing has wrought worst physical and psychological trauma on Nigerians than the June 12 1993 election and its aftermath. Indeed, we have proceeded since then on a fast-forwarded downward spiral that’s still got us all in a ghastly spin. We have witnessed an Ernest Shonekan, a civilian giant of industry with the best of western education, take on the cloak of democracy-killer in the form of the doomed-from-day-one contraption called Interim National Government (ING). We have witnessed the loveless General Sani Abacha experiment with our sanity, losing his own and his life in the process, but not without sending many patriots to gruesome and untimely death. We have seen General Absulsalami Abubakar quickly ease the poisoned chalice to another old general who has now passed it on to the clueless brother of another dead general. Nigeria is creaking and tottering and the man who set off this mad attack on our national psyche, the gap-toothed general looks on distantly from his Minna mount. Sixteen years of this bitter military pill has been hard to swallow and today, June 12, we are reminded once again where the rain began to beat us.
Of course, Nigerian history did not begin on June 12 1993; but on that day, it took a devious course to oblivion. It could have been different. Patient Nigerians had watched the tinkering Maradona exhaust his many dance steps and, worthily, they got the best of all available options – Option A4. Suddenly, those who thought conducting a free and fair election in Nigeria was a mirage found real reason to eat their words. The world came, saw and reported – “Mirror, mirror on the wall; this is the fairest and freest election of them all!†Nigerians who delivered this couldn’t believe they did it as well. But they did it! Just as they rolled out the drums and began clanging their cymbals, General Ibrahim Babangida struck. He had his reasons, now well rehearsed, and we will not dignify them with a mention here, except to say he, out of his own wish for self-preservation, chose to affect the nation’s destiny by torching it. It’s still burning.
Today, the Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF), Respect Nigerians Coalition (RNC) and all the organizations that joined us at the May 29 State of the Nation Conference are not celebrating. Yes, we did not celebrate May 29 and we are not celebrating June 12 - one, because it is a fraud and the second because it is a loss. On June 12, we lost the soul of our nation and ever since we have been on a wild goose chase trying to get it back. Oh yeah, we will get it back. We are on our way. Time has done its duty; we now know those who’ve yanked off our nation’s heart and they know themselves as well. The trees are falling and the chicken’s feathers are blowing in the unforgiving breeze! The rumps, yes the pimpled, sickly rumps are well and truly exposed! These tin-gods have no clothes!
Today, we call on Nigerians to engage in a sober reflection. We call on you to reflect deeply on our journey to install true democracy in our nation. We call on you to remember the great and ordinary men who were felled by the killers of our nation, not least, MKO Abiola, who, despite what anyone says today was an exemplary patriot, a martyr for democracy and a worthy symbol of a people’s continued attempt to reach out to each other to achieve their full potential. Remember those that were mowed down by the Goggled One on the streets for no bigger offence than calling for their votes to count. Remember those that were hunted and cut down by the killer squads recruited and paid by the state to sell us unadulterated fear. Remember, because your only treasure is a long, long memory. Don’t lose it!
June 12 tells us we are capable of achieving what we want to achieve electorally. On May 29, we told you of our mission to begin a national sensitization programme towards another type of activism. We called it Electoral Activism and we promised to give you details of how we hope to achieve it in the not-too-distant future. That promise still stands. But today, reflect on it. In the light of what happened in Ekiti State, reflect on it. We are no animals. We are human beings who deserve to have people we have chosen serve us in public service - not those who’ve killed our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, neighbours and nation! June 12 gave us a glimpse of our power as a people. Our mission is to reclaim that magic. We will not forget. Bitter sixteen, yes; but the sweet days shall be ours to claim. That’s our Promise to our children.
Signed:
Kayode Ogundamisi
Kennedy Emetulu
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });