Nigerians celebrate Abiola, seek national dialogue

[TGD]

 Name Eagle Square after Abiola, parties urge Jonathan

'June 12 must be a national holiday'

THE imperative of a national dialogue by all stakeholders to lay out the frame-work for national relationship yesterday formed the fulcrum of submissions made by a broad spectrum of eminent leaders, political activists and justice crusaders who gathered in Lagos to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

The event, organised by the Lagos State government's Political and Legislative Powers Bureau in collaboration with the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations had in attendance Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, erstwhile Lagos State Military Governor and PRONACO chieftain, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Senator Adebiyi Durojaiye, and former Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Wale Oshun, who delivered the keynote address.

The late business mogul, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, is widely believed to have won the annulled polls.

Also, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to, as a matter of urgent national importance, immortalise Abiola by changing the Eagle Square to MKO Abiola Square.                    .

In a related development, pro-democracy groups yesterday marked the 18th anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election in Osun State and called on the Federal Government to give a posthumous recognition to the hero of the struggle, Chief Abiola.

Chairman of the Osun event, Ambassador Olu Otunla, urged the Federal Government to have a rethink and accord June 12 its rightful place in the nation's political history.

Otunla said June 12 had become an "undying truth" 18 years after the annulment of the election over which Abiola lost his life.                  .

Governor Rauf Aregbesola described as "greater injustice" the non-recognition of Abiola by the Federal Government as the winner of the June 12 election.

Aregbesola, who was represented by his Deputy, Titi Laoye-Tomori, said: "The huge debt we owe the memory of Abiola is not just to recognise him as winner of the annulled election but to officially acknowledge him as President posthumously."

According to Aregbesola, "the 2011 elections are by no means close to the peaceful and fair elections of June 12, 1993".

The governor, who lauded Nigerians for their steadfastness on June 12, noted that the day would be observed as a public holiday in future if it falls on a working day.

In a statement yesterday by National Publicity Secretary, CNPP, Osita Okechukwu, the group said "Abiola is undoubtedly the father of Nigeria's Fourth Republic, having paid the supreme sacrifice for and regrettably a republic whose beneficiaries, out of self-denial, deliberately refused to immortalise him."

The CNPP insisted that "Abiola is the symbol of the freest, fairest and transparent election in the annals of our history, an election where no blood was shed, where a Muslim-Muslim ticket won and an election which defied tribalism and regionalism."

The CNPP added: "Permit us with nostalgia to comment briefly on both the intended and unintended consequences of the annulment of June 12 Election won by the everlasting MKO Abiola.

"The tragedy and cruel intended consequence of the annulment of the June 12 election is that the masterminds of the annulment more or less are still controlling the top levers of power in Nigeria; having simulated the emergence of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President in 1999.             .

"The unintended consequence is that as anti-democrats who are naturally opposed to the sanctity of the ballot box, the annulment cabal did not hesitate to corrupt the electoral process as neither the 2003 and 2007 sham elections nor the hi-tech rigged 2011 elections can be equated with the June 12 election."

Also, speaking at a lecture organised by the Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS) in collaboration with members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State branch, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Veteran Journalists as well as Federation of Women Lawyers, participants said the time has come for the Federal Government to publicly acknowledge the importance of June 12.

And, renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay, yesterday urged the Federal Government to declare June 12 of every year a national holiday.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Sagay described June 12 as a "watershed" in the political history of Nigeria.

According to him, honouring past heroes such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Abiola with national holidays is a befitting way of acknowledging their contributions to nation building.

He said the decision of some states of the federation to declare June 12 as "Democracy Day" was indicative of the autonomy of states in a true federalism.

The Lagos event, held at the Blueroof Auditorium of the Lagos Television (LTV) headquarters in Ikeja, witnessed a massive turnout of pro-democracy movements, civil society groups and politicians, in spite of the heavy downpour.

Stressing the need to continue to celebrate June 12, Balarabe Musa called for an urgent revolutionary reconstruction of the country. He said:     "Whether we call it Sovereign National Conference or Social

Reconstruction, we need to discuss this country."

Musa said the annulled June 12 election was unique in the "sense of the freeness and fairness of the polls leading to legitimate power; the decision of Nigerians to unite under a common belief; and preparedness of certain leaders to die for the country."                   .

But according to him, the election also underscored some negative attributes inherent in the country, which included

"the fact that the June 12 Presidential poll was annulled by unpatriotic forces within the Nigerian system."                .

The country, he said, has not been unable to replicate the quality of the June 12, 1993 election.

Speaking in the same vein, Kanu harped on the need for component units and stakeholders in the country to sit together and fashion out a strong nation.

Observing that various constitutional attempts had failed to produce any generally acceptable constitution for Nigeria, Durojaiye said since "we have not got it right, we need to hold a Sovereign National Conference, or a dialogue by whatever name we choose to call it."

To Fashola, freedom and choice are powerful ideas which pursuit had changed the course of human history dramatically.

These, according to the governor, are values that are intrinsically human but "tragically they are perhaps the most trampled expectations of humanity."

"It is the commemoration of the Nigerian struggle for freedom and choice that has convoked this meeting. Today is the 18th anniversary of the historic election that promised so much for Nigeria but delivered little," said Fashola.

The governor added that June 12, 1993 election had become "historic and memorable not because it produced the expected results, but because its sabotage produced a reaction that the saboteurs did not contemplate."

Fashola said: "It produced a platform for the expression of the need for change, a better life, true democracy and responsible governance by millions of Nigerians.               .

"The elections ignited in Nigeria, the biggest human force known in our history – the consensus of millions for one common purpose.            .

"The annulled election produced heroes and martyrs. It is to them that this day is dedicated; a day to salute their courage and selflessness; a day to honour them and to keep the flame of hope alive; a day to remind those of us who hold public office that we are trustees of legacies of hope created by the sacrifices of others."

Fashola stressed that the day also "calls us to remember Bashorun M. K. O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane, Abraham Adesanya, Chima Ubani, Gani Fawehinmi and many others who have left us but without whose sacrifice we may still be in the trenches.

"It calls upon us to look back at their families and dependants and to spare a thought for them and of course to pray for them."

He also said: "This day also calls upon us to remember the heroes who are living, to honour and cherish their leadership as testimonies and inspiration to others that the true freedoms and choices have not been achieved and that there remains work yet to be done, and new heroes yet to emerge."

Fashola added: "The evidence of work yet to be done is manifested in the mindless orgy of violence that followed the recently concluded general elections."

"Those elections exacted a price that was too much for our country. They claimed the lives of 10 known young persons, who were serving their country; and many others who have not been so prominently identified.

"That was not the kind of freedom, choice and promise that the 1993 elections were supposed to deliver. This is sour in the extreme.               .

"If elections are meant to secure the future and our prosperity, it is not right that they should be delivered at the cost of the lives of the youth who represent that future, or indeed at the cost of any human life. Our work therefore is far from over."                 .

As an exercise in the abuse of fundamental democratic principle, June 12, according to Wale Oshun, "is the story of an election in which the sovereignty of all Nigerians was traduced, mainly but not exclusively by people who claimed to be more patriotic than the rest of us."



Source: The Guardian.