No Lesson Learnt From June 12, Says Okei-Odumakin

•Late Chief MKO Abiola

•Late Chief MKO Abiola

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Twenty-one years after the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, human rights activist, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin has lamented that no lesson was learnt from that election adjudged the freest in the nation’s history.

Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise Initiative and Campaign for Democracy, said as Nigeria marks the 21st anniversary of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s undemocratic act, the CD takes an incursion into the past and is saddened to conclude that nothing has spectacularly changed 21 years after.

“While the sacrifices that went into the struggle to revalidate the annulled election cannot go unappreciated, it is particularly pathetic that the democratic height expected of the country is yet to be attained.

 “While we cannot but acknowledge the current ‘step aside’ posture of the military as well as the urgent need for us to as a nation improve on the civil rule which we call democracy, it is sad that, 21 years after, it’s been so far, so sad!

“In truth, there is no doubting the fact that Nigeria is at a crossroads. While those who had struggled for the enthronement of democracy and the betterment of Nigeria have been consigned to the backstage in the day-to-day affairs of the country, those who had known next-to-nothing about the struggle for democracy as well as those who were practically opposed to the spirit of ‘June 12’ are now at the corridors of power, power-drunk and further unleashing on the country what can rightly be referred to as democratic dictatorship,” she lamented.

 According to her, 21 years after, the democracy, which Nigeria had earnestly craved for, still remain practically elusive, saying that even the more preferred ‘transition to civil rule’ option is still subject to critical fundamental objectives of state policy which remain unjustifiable as poverty still remains unbanished; as lives of the ordinary Nigerians still remain impoverished.

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“The issue of electricity supply remains epileptic even as successive governments continue to sink billions of the taxpayers’ money into phony projects. Our hospitals are glorified morgues while education and infrastructural facilities remain moribund.

“Sadder still, while sister African countries like Ghana and South Africa are making resounding progress in their search for democratic order, Nigeria continues to retrogress not only democratically but also socio-economically. Still, those who revel in Nigeria’s backward, and, now, ‘no movement’, characteristics have been deceiving us that our democracy is at its best,” she added.

Okei-Odumakin said while the leaders daily swim in affluence, the people are getting poorer with each passing day.

 She said as the people celebrate the heroes and heroines of Nigeria’s democracy, the CD expects patriotic and democracy-loving Nigerians to go back to ‘June 12’ for the answers to the myriads of problems currently confronting the nation state, chief among which is the need to get the politics right.

 “We, therefore, call on Nigerians, irrespective of creed, race or religious inclination, or affiliation, to re-dedicate themselves to the struggle for genuine democracy; for credible elections; and for a new and an enduring constitution that will no doubt address the many socio-economic crises confronting Nigeria.

 “Nigeria must imbibe the spirit of June 12 by ensuring that we embrace the true tenets of democracy where the votes of the people count and elected officials can be accountable to the people, knowing that they owe their mandate to the people. Finally, we salute the memory of MKO Abiola and all other martyrs of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. May their blood continue to water the trees that will bear the fruits of freedom,” she stated.

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