IBB, Shonekhan, Abacha, Abdulsalami and Democracy Day in Nigeria, By Bello Shehu Maude
AREWA AGENDA – All what I can recall on this historic day of June 12 is; General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida nullified the election of 1993 whereby the Yoruba nation accused both Presidential candidates of been the stooges of Babangida’s regime.
The election was between Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola with his contender Alhaji Bashir Uthman Tofa whereby according to the election results MKO appeared to be victorious at the birthplace and residential area of Bashir Tofa in what was widely adjudged a free, fair and credible election.
The results of the election was not officially accepted and announced by the then Military Head of State for reason(s) left unknown till date. After a series of pressure mounted on IBB’s regime to handover the mantle of leadership to a civilian administration, the Political Maradona as he was known, “stepped aside” and set an Interim Government in August under the care of Chief Earnest Shonekhan to rearrange and conduct another fresh election for the drum of Democracy to reverberate across the federation once again.
Unfortunately Shonekhan’s interim administration was toppled by General Sani Abacha, hence the notion of aborted 3rd Republic that lasted for few months in the history of Nigerian Civilian Administration.
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Chief MKO Abiola and his allies vehemently opposed the Military Coup d’etat and launched a threatening opposition with MKO Abiola staunchly claiming his victory as an Elected President of the Federal Republic, thus, Abiola created a state within a state along with the compliments of a presidential palace, security agents and blaring sirens wherever he traverses.
General Abacha saw the seed of his own destruction by the threat Abiola and some civil rights activists who opposed his regime poses. He then took it upon himself to hound whoever stands on his way to absolute power, hence the arrest of MKO Abiola and the introduction of Panthom Coup notion in General Abacha’s Regime which resulted to the arrest of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Musa Yar’adua and left many in exile like Professor Wole Soyinka and Atiku Abubakar to mention but few.
Abacha died in 1998 while Abiola was in prison. Abdulsalam Abubakar took over and fulfilled his promised of handing over Nigeria’s Leadership to a Democratically elected Civilian Administration in 1999. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo the prisoner of Abacha was released by Abdulsalami’s Regime. He ran the Presidential race on the platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 1999 General Election. Fortunately, Obasanjo won and that marked the beginning of the longest 4th Republic in Nigerian History.
The Official Handing Over Date was 29th May, 1999
Bello, a Public Policy Analyst, Advocate of Good Governance and Youth Inclusion in Politics, writes from Kano – Nigeria
Arewa Agenda is a Publication of Young writers/journalist from Northern Nigeria towards Peaceful Coexistence and National Development through positive narratives
