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High Chief Lekan AlabiHigh Chief Lekan Alabi, the Maiye Olubadan of Ibadan Land, participated at an event in Lagos last Wednesday to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day and the 31st anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd). At the event organised by the Coalition of Democracy Societies, Alabi, a veteran journalist and one of the protagonists of the struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country, read from his book, ‘June 12: Lest We Forget’. In this interview with ONYEDIKA AGBEDO, he reflects on the events of that time and Nigeria’s democratic journey so far.
You are one of those that participated in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in the country after the June 12, 1993 presidential election was annulled by the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Thirty one years after, how would you reflect on that incident and the events that followed?
Without being immodest, I was in the thick of the June 12, 1993 election by virtue of the fact that I was the founding secretary general of the MKO Abiola Dynamic Group with headquarters in Ibadan. I was also an executive member of another body called Association for Democracy in Nigeria (ADIN). Those two bodies campaigned for a free and fair presidential election of Saturday, June 12, 1993 in the old Oyo State; because Nigerians particularly the voters had gotten tired of the then self-styled military president of General Ibrahim Babangida (retd) political programme called Transition to Civil Rule after many years of military rule. Babangida was just shifting poles. He was banning and unbanning politicians at will. So, we told ourselves that if he meant well, if he were sincere about actualising what his government called transition to civil rule, why would he be playing Nigerians up and down?
So, our main objective was to appeal to Nigerians, politicians and voters, to keep calm and abide by the changing rules and regulations of Babangida’s military government. Lo and behold, Saturday, June 12, 1993 came and Nigerians had a peaceful election; the fairest. Nigerians on their own free will voted massively for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, the late Bashorun MKO Abiola. The results that were announced showed Bashorun MKO Abiola leading his opponent, Alhaji Bashiru Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). About three days after that election, we were getting from the grapevine, including sources inside Dodan Barracks, the residence of the military president, that the election result would be annulled. We said no; because the election was different in the sense that the electoral commission, the federal military government, the parties and the candidates complied with all the rules and regulations so the next thing should be the announcement of the result. When the announcement started trickling in, Abiola was leading by a wide margin only for the nation to be shocked in the national radio and NTA network announcement that the election result was annulled and that Babangida had given orders to the INEC chairman to withhold making public the remaining result. People were asking the big question:
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Why annul an election described as the freest and fairest presidential election in the country?
Thank God that Nigerians are not only law abiding; they showed they could react like any other society when suspicion is creeping into government action. The rest is history.
Before the annulment of the election, we the MKO Dynamic Group protested through a press conference, documented in my book, ‘June 12: Lest We Forget’, held on June 18, 1993 at the NUJ Oyo State Council Press Centre, where we warned Babangida not to try Nigerians’ resolve. The title of the text we read at that press conference was ‘Nigerians Have Spoken’. They are all in the book. But Babangida went ahead, annulled the result and threw Nigeria into a frenzy of demonstrations occasioned by military interventions via tanks being rolled out on the streets whereby innocent protesters, mostly students, traders and youths were killed.
As we celebrate the 31st anniversary of the June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria is still in the lurch. That’s my answer.
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Looking at the struggle that ensued to get the military to relinquish power, which according to you, cost some people their lives, does the democracy we are practicing today meet your expectations?
It goes beyond ‘according to me’. Your newspaper was a victim. The Guardian was shut down, among other newspapers, by the Babangida regime and later his successor, Gen. Sani Abacha. Of course, democracy is the best form of government in the world whereby people are governed based on the constitution. Elections are held under the guidance of an independent electoral body and the voters having a choice; not gun or knife or any weapon put on their necks. There is a free choice of candidates.
So, the anniversary we are celebrating now, 31 years after, has brought about the presidency of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who took over from the presidency of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd). Democracy is the top choice of people in the world; there is freedom to choose your leaders based on your conviction of the party manifestos and promises. It is the best form of government.
Would you say that Nigerians are really enjoying what they envisaged when they were struggling for democracy to be restored by the military?
Thank you very much. Our people say that a tree does not make a forest and as they say there is more than a side to a coin. Now you are asking for my opinion and I will with all modesty say that the opinion I’m expressing now reflects that of the majority of Nigerians – that compared to military dictatorship, democracy is better. And we are enjoying the benefits of democracy in that at the state level, we have the Houses of Assembly, where laws are made; and at the national level, we have the House of Representatives and the Senate, which also make laws for us. It is better than military dictatorship because our views and opinions are sought before laws are made and if we object, under the constitution, the government withdraws certain laws, which the people are against.
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Do you have any examples? I’m asking because some Nigerians are so disenchanted with the system today that they are even wishing for the return of the military to power?
It is their right. As I said, in a democracy, every citizen is free to express opinions but not to lord his or hers over others. But if you ask me, with my humble background, this is my 54th year as a journalist. I am the oldest grandchild of the first woman leader of NCNC in Ibadan in the 1950s under the late Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu, alias Penkelemes. I served as press secretary to four governors of old Oyo State – one civilian and three military. So, if you ask me, maybe our readers will say that Oloye Lekan Alabi is in a good position to compare civilian and military regimes, I will opt for democracy.
Are there areas in our current democracy you think can be reformed to ensure better governance in the country and possibly make those wishing for the return of the military to power to have a change of mind?
As a fair minded person and as my profession has taught me, opinions are free but facts are sacred. So, if you are quoting opinions now that some people are saying they would prefer military government to a civilian administration, it is their right. But if you ask me personally, I will say that processes whereby laws are made after consultation or agitation by the public is better than the military where a group of officers will just promulgate decrees and whether you like it or not you must comply. And having been in the two forms of government, I would say I prefer democracy but anybody who is against democracy has his or her right to be considered.
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The current president is one of those who led the struggle for the restoration of democracy in this country. Now that he is in charge, what kind of reforms do you want him to initiate to make Nigerians have confidence in the system?
Your great newspaper obliged me with a full length interview about three months ago where my opinion was sought and I said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should please take a look at the 2014 confab report as that report was put together by the majority of Nigerians. Nigerians cutting across religion, tribe and class put up a report where we said we want to be governed under some set rules. That was what I said and I still stand by that statement. The constitution of Nigeria has been described as a military constitution. And anywhere in the world where they run democracy, the constitution is a reflection of the opinion and decision of the people. So, a look at the confab report and application of those fundamentals that will unite all the tribes, class of people, regions and their God given resources for the betterment of the country should be quickly undertaken.
The President can’t do this by fiat. What steps should he take to kick-start the process of implementing the report?
What the average Nigerian wants is the suitable environment that will guarantee his or her freedom, security, opportunity to earn a decent living, train his/her children, get better healthcare and so on. If the function of any government in the world is to make the people happy.
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