By Linus Okoroji
On Friday June 12, 2020, Nigerians and lovers of democracy globally will once again commemorate the 27th anniversary of Nigeria’s freest and fairest election in our political history but which was treasonably annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta in order to perpetuate his illegal stay in the corridors of power.
Fortunately, Nigerians across all divide, resolutely resisted this brazen assault on their democratic right and insisted on the validation of the peoples mandate freely given to late Bashorun MKO Abiola of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the polls on June 12, 1993 and it was that insistence though at a heavy price that culminated in the sack of the Babangida junta and the succeeding juntas of late despots Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar and thus paved the way for the restoration of democratic rule on 29th May 1999.
Ever since the treasonable annulment of the June 12 1993 Presidential election, Nigerians have held tenaciously to that mandate and have been commemorating it on a yearly basis though anti democratic forces derided the peoples will and tried to consign it to the dustbin of history by declaring May 29th as Nigeria’s democracy day instead of June 12 which is the authentic democracy day, a day, Nigerians across ethnic, religious and other primordial divides spoke with one voice with a big No to military misadventurism in politics and governance.
For 26 years after that historic watershed election and 20 years after the return to civil rule, successive administrations at the federal level and their accomplices and co-conspirators tried futilely to frustrate the peoples date with history, but failed repeatedly until the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, recognizing the import of that day in the annals of the political history of Nigeria, did the needful on June 2019 by proclaiming June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day as against the fraudulent May 29 in hearkening to the wishes and aspirations of the long suffering and democratically traumatized Nigerians.
For this reason, Nigerians and lovers of democracy globally are eternally grateful to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for taking the bold and indelible step of healing the wound inflicted on the psyche of Nigerians by the treasonable annulment and for sending a clear and unambiguous message to anti democratic forces, that Never again will the peoples will, democratically expressed at the polls be allowed to be trampled under the foot of despotism for any reason.
We must once again as we did last year, wholeheartedly commend President Muhammadu Buhari administration for not only recognizing June 12 as democracy day, but also going further to bestow the National award of GCFR on late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the pan Nigeria mandate and also honouring the matrys of Nigeria’s democratic struggle such as the Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the Masses, late Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi with national award of GCON, amongst several others. History will never forget this administration for the historic and unparalleled feat.
We also want to commend and salute the tenacity and doggedness of the Nigerian people for remaining steadfast in their commitment to democracy despite the turbulent times and ignoring the plots by agents of darkness to sow seed of discord and cause public disquiet for their selfish interest.
We commend governments, especially Lagos State government which has been our partner in this struggle over the years and indomitable groups namely National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), labour, civil society and self determination organizations, student bodies, artisans, market men and women, etc, who have remained at the barricades and kept the democratic flag flying all through the years.
But for the coronavirus epidemic, June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations (J12CODEF) would have honoured the heroes and matyrs of our democratic struggle in commemoration of the 27th year anniversary of that historic mandate.
As we commemorate this year’s June 12 anniversary in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic ravaging the world, it is important to reiterate that one of the cardinal demands of the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations which still subsist till date, is the demand for true federalism in the Nigeria federation.
We have observed how snippets of true federalism is being practiced by the response to the coronavirus epidemic through the states intervention on isolation and treatment of patients in the devolution of responsibility to the states by the NCDC, this is akin to what we have been clamouring for, all through the struggle.
A lot of the hue and cries over palliatives would have been averted or reduced if we were practicing true federalism. By this, we mean that the citizens will be more focused on their states and local governments for palliatives rather than the misdirected attention on the federal government.
Thus, the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations is unequivocal, that only a return to federalism through the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) is the key to unlocking the potentials of a great and prosperous Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In this vein, we once again call on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to take another look at the various reports of past national conferences as well as the PRONACO draft constitution report as a panacea to a working federal system of government.
As we mark this great and authentic Nigeria’s Democracy Day of June 12, the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations (J12CODEF) urge Nigerians to remain resolute and steadfast to democracy despite the imperfections, as we are confident that soon, we shall birth the Nigeria of our dreams and aspirations.
Long live democracy,
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nelson Ekujumi,
General Secretary.
