MKO Abiola And The June 12 Theory

 June 12, 1993 to this moment seems just like yesterday, but it is not; it is another calendar day that has been marked 25 times in the history of Nigeria. In many progressive ideological circles, today is regarded as the authentic ‘Democracy Day’ as against the ‘May 29′ popularly celebrated by the federal government.

 This day, June 12, 1993, Presidential elections were held in Nigeria for the first time since the 1983 military coup. The unannounced result was a victory for Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola from the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He unofficially defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). He won the 19 states out of the then 30 states of Nigeria leaving just 11 states for his opponent.

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola was born on the 24th of August, 1937 and died on July 1998. He was a Nigerian businessman, publisher, politician and aristocrat of the Yoruba Egba clan.

Moshood  Abiola's involvement in politics started at a young age. He was 19-years old when he joined the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon (NCNC) in 1979.

He contested for the seat of the Presidency in 1993. He was the assumed winner of the election which was annulled by the then military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida. The reason for the annulment was not made clear by the then head of state but it was assumed that he took the decision for his own selfish interest. This decision led to a nationwide crisis; and the crisis ended with Sani Abacha leading a coup later in that year.

However, M.K.O did not accept the decision of the military to annul the result which was clear that he had won. In 1994, he  declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria in the Epetedo area of Lagos Island; an area mainly dominated by Lagos Indigence. He made the declaration after he returned from a trip to solicit the support of the international community for his mandate. After declaring himself president, the presumed president was declared wanted and was accused of treason and arrested on the orders of the then military President General Sani Abacha. Abacha sent 200 police vehicles to take him into custody. He was detained for four years, largely in solitary confinement with a Bible, Qur'an, and fourteen guards as companions thereby denying him of his post.

 It was a state of sombre when Abiola died  on July 7, 1998 on the day he was due to be released from incarceration under suspicious circumstances shortly after the death of General Abacha. However, his death led to controversy as the official autopsy stated that Abiola died of natural causes, but Abacha's chief security officer, Al-Mustapha alleged he was beaten to death.

Till date, the 1993 election is adjudged Nigeria's freest and fairest presidential election by national and international observers, with Abiola winning in his opponent's home state in Northern Nigeria.

Chief MKO Abiola's memory is celebrated in Nigeria and  internationally. June 12 is thus a day to remember chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola as well as other democracy martyrs. The Federal Government did a great job recently by changing democracy day from May 29 to June 12 and awarded him with the highest title in the country that is, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).  Indeed, M.K.O deserve the honour and may his soul continues to rest in peace.

By Florence O.