Today, June 12, 2024, Nigeria as a nation celebrates its 25th anniversary of uninterrupted democratic system of governance in the country.
Meanwhile, some of our young ones may be confused of why we celebrate Democracy Day on June 12 and not on May 29.
This article will shed more lights on the event that led to the declaration of June 12 as democracy day in Nigeria.
First and foremost, let’s trace the history of the man and figure behind democratic change in Nigeria, he is no other person than, Chief MKO Abiola, whose political and democratic struggles led to the June 12 episode in the country.
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly known as M.K.O, a Nigerian business mogul, philanthropist and politician, whose political struggle signified him as a figure of democratic change in Nigeria, was born on August 24, 1937 in Abeokuta, Ogun State and he died on July 7, 1998 in Abuja, Nigeria.
Abiola was born and raised in poverty but was a hard worker and a bright student. He attended the University of Glasgow, Scotland, on scholarship, graduating in 1963. He then studied at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, also in Scotland, graduating in 1965. Abiola began working for ITT Nigeria in 1968; by 1971 he was its chief executive and chairman, posts he held until 1988. During that time he amassed an immense private fortune and became owner of a publishing house, a newspaper syndicate (Concord Newspaper), and an airline, among other enterprises. He was voted International Businessman of the Year in 1988.
Abiola made generous donations for building schools, mosques, churches, libraries, and various development projects across Nigeria and became a popular public figure. He also supported liberation movements in southern Africa and campaigns for reparations for slavery.
After nearly a decade of military rule, democratic elections were held in Nigeria on June 12, 1993. Abiola ran as the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party in a two-party race. Observers declared the election to have been the freest and fairest in Nigerian history. Initial results indicated that Abiola, who had garnered votes across ethnic and religious divides, would be the clear winner of the election. Before the official results were announced, however, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the then military leader, annulled the election. This provoked a political crisis.
Abiola rallied domestic and international support in claiming the presidency that he appeared to have won, which led to his 1994 arrest on a charge of treason by the military regime then led by Gen. Sani Abacha.
During his imprisonment Abiola was deprived of outside news and subjected to solitary confinement and abuse that included negligent medical care. His release seemed imminent following the death of General Abacha in June 1998. However, Abiola died suddenly under mysterious circumstances, arousing suspicions of foul play, although a heart attack was officially declared to be the cause of his death.
Many areas in southwestern Nigeria have since observed June 12 as a day on which to commemorate Abiola as well as remember the election that was held on that day in 1993 and its significance as a symbol of democracy.
However, on June 6, 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari declared June 12 as a new date to celebrate Democracy Day in Nigeria. Recall, Nigeria’s Democracy Day was formerly celebrate every 29 May, the day in 1999 that the former military Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the democratically elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Following President Buhari’s decision, May 29 was dropped for June 12, to celebrate Democracy in Nigeria, and as well as to remember late Chief MKO Abiola and several others who laid their lives for the sake of June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria.
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