June 12: Celebrating Nigeria’s True Democracy

As the Federal government battles insecurity bedeviling the nation from all front, President Buhari presents the 6 years scorecard of his administration as part of the event marking 2021 Democracy Day


Saturday, June 12, 2021 was the twenty eight anniversary of what is regarded in the annals of Nigeria’s presidential elections as the most credible, fairest, freest and most accepted election in Nigeria. It was also the second in the series since President Muhammadu Buhari recognized it and changed the hitherto May 29th date of Nigeria’s Democracy Day Celebration.

In 2019, the President had directed that Nigeria’s Democracy Day, marked every May 29 for the past 18 years since democratic rule returned in May 1999, be changed to June 12 to honour late Chief Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election. June 12 is a watershed in many aspects. It was one election that defied the nation’s fault lines. The election did not discriminate between religion, tribe and tongue. June 12 election featured a Muslim-Muslim ticket which Abiola and Babagana Kingibe represent. But Nigerians believed in the Abiola dream and came out en masse to give him support. Election data showed that MKO Abiola, as he was popularly called, won the polls but he was never formally declared winner and was not sworn into office by the military government of Gen Ibrahim Babangida.

Abiola was later imprisoned by the Gen Sani Abacha’s military regime as he struggled to actualise his mandate for declaring himself president. He curiously died in prison in 1998, a day he was supposed to be released. Before the Buhari action, successive governments have brushed aside calls for Abiola to be honoured and for the federal government to recognise June 12 as democracy day. The Buhari government directed that MKO be conferred with the nation’s highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR. The honour exclusively conferred only on presidents and former presidents.

The government also said Abiola’s running mate in that election, Babagana Kingibe, be conferred with the second highest honour. “For the past 18 years, Nigerians have been celebrating May 29th, as Democracy Day. That was the date when for the second time in our history, an elected civilian administration took over from a military government. The first time this happened was on October 21st, 1979. But in the view of Nigerians, as shared by this Administration, June 12, 1993, was far more symbolic of Democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29th or even the October 1st,” a statement by the presidency said. “June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly, the freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our Independence. The fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military Government does not distract from the democratic credentials of that process.

“Accordingly, after due consultations, the Federal government has decided that henceforth, June 12th will be celebrated as Democracy Day. Therefore, Government has decided to award posthumously the highest honour of the land, GCFR, to late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 cancelled elections. His running mate as Vice President, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, is also to be invested with a GCON. Furthermore, the tireless fighter for human rights and the actualization of the June 12th elections and indeed for Democracy in general, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN is to be awarded the GCON. “The investiture took place on Tuesday June 12, 2018, a date which in future years will replace May 29th as a National Public Holiday in celebration of Nigeria Democracy Day.”

To walk his talk, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law June 12 as Nigeria’s new democracy day. The act marks the official recognition of the date that Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola of the then Social Democratic Party, SDP, was widely believed to have won in a landslide victory over his National Republican Convention, NRC, opponent Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa. The election cancelled by former Military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) fuelled what became the bedrock of the current democratic journey. From the agitations and relentless efforts of pro-democracy groups, trade unions, the media and political allies of Late Chief M.K.O Abiola, the Military administration of Late General Sani Abacha had a difficult time containing the public agitation for civil rule in Nigeria.

In 1998 after taking over as Military Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) led Nigeria to a successful transition to a democratic government on May 29, 1999. From then it was proclaimed as a national public holiday for Nigerians, but agitations of the South-Western states and political associates of Late Abiola called for the businessman turned politician’s immortalization by pronouncing June 12 as the country’s democracy day. The Oodua States (Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo and Ekiti) all declared June 12th as a regional public holiday, to make a strong pitch for what they considered to be the real “Democracy Day.”

At the event to mark June 12th, 2018 President Muhammadu Buhari made a profound statement by apologizing to the family of Chief M.K.O Abiola and conferring a posthumous award on him as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, GCFR. A year after, President Buhari took the step of officially recognizing the date as the nation’s day of commemorating civil rule. By this act, May 29 has given way to June 12 as the country’s democracy day. While commemorating this year’s Democracy Day, President Buhari in a national broadcast commended the resilience of Nigerians and enjoined them to continue to have faith in the country. He equally used the opportunity to reel out his achievements and the attendant challenges.

“When this administration decided to change our Democracy Day from 29th May to June 12th in my first tenure, it was not only to honour the sacrifices of the men and women of our country who fought for the return to democracy but also to demonstrate our commitment to satisfy the aspirations of the people and creating an environment for democracy to be an accepted way of life. “As your President, I remain committed to providing an enabling environment for a free, fair and credible electoral system under my tenure. “However, you need to play your part by getting involved at any level you can supporting a democratic system that works for all and not for a section or a select few and demand accountability from your elected leaders. “My commitment to bequeathing a sustainable democratic culture remains resolute, my pursuit of a fair society remains unshaken and my desire to see that Nigeria remains a country for each and every one of us has never been stronger.

“In responding to the challenges that this period imposes on us, Government also recognises the need to acknowledge notions of marginalisation and agitations for constitutional amendments among various segments of our population. “While this government is not averse to constitutional reform as part of our nation building process, everyone must understand that the primary responsibility for constitutional amendments lies with the National Assembly. “This body which, as I said, is the arm of government responsible for constitutional changes has concluded the preliminary stages of amending and improving our constitution in a way that the majority of Nigerians will be happy with. “Government is, however, willing to play a critical role in the constitutional amendment process without usurping the powers of the National Assembly in this regard.

“As a nation we have come very far from where we started and we are getting incrementally closer to where we ought to be. “Overcoming the present challenges is but one of a necessary process that we have to undergo as a nation so that we can come out stronger. The day I joined the Nigerian Army I was prepared to lay down my life for Nigeria. “As your President I remain ever committed to upholding and defending Nigeria’s corporate existence. “In adhering to the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy notably section 14(2) (b) I shall do all within my power to ensure that the Security and welfare of the people remain the primary purpose of government. “I have, throughout my tenure, provided the security agencies with all they require relative to available resources and will be providing more as the dynamics unfold to put an end to our security problems. “My strong belief in the Nigerian spirit gives me comfort that we are facing these challenges with renewed commitment to keep our country one.

The statement in part reads: “I join you all today to commemorate and celebrate our Democracy Day. It is a celebration of freedom and victory for one people, one country and one Nigeria. “As with all democracies, we will always be going through improvement processes in our desire to reach the goal of a mature democracy, a strong evolved and integrated nation to be reckoned with globally. “In the last two years, we have witnessed and overcome a good number of tests challenges that would have destroyed other nations especially relating to our security challenges. The indefatigable Can Do spirit of the Nigerians has sustained us. “Unfortunately, some of these challenges came in the shape of violent outrages leading to loss of lives of many of our dearest compatriots and destruction of our infrastructure including those devoted to improving our democratic process.’’ He condoled with the victims of violence and other attacks.

“We are, at the same time addressing the twin underlying drivers of insecurity namely poverty and youth unemployment. “Interventions led by Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria driving economic growth over the past 6 years are targeted mostly to the agricultural, services, infrastructure, power and health care sectors of the economy. “In the Agricultural sector, for instance, the Anchor Borrowers Programme resulted in sharp decline in the nation’s major food import bill from $2.23billion in 2014 to US$0.59billion by the end of 2018. “Rice import bill alone dropped from $1 billion to $18.5 million annually.

“This initiative supported local production of rice, maize, cotton and cassava. Government financed 2.5 million small-holder farmers, cultivating about 3.2 million hectares of farmland all over the country and created 10 million direct and indirect jobs. “Several other initiatives, namely Agri-Business/Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme, the Non-oil Export stimulation Facility, the Targeted Credit Facilities operated across the 774 Local Governments. “In the manufacturing sector the CBN – BOI N200 billion facility financed the establishment and operations of 60 new industrial hubs across the country, creating an estimated 890,000 direct and indirect jobs. “The CBN’s N50 billion Textile Sector intervention Facility increased capacity utilization of ginneries from 30% to nearly 90%. “The Economic Sustainability Plan – our rebound plan for the COVID-19 pandemic developed in 2020 is currently being executed. The plan is primarily focused on the non-oil sector, which has recorded phenomenal growth contributing over 90% to the GDP growth in Q1 2021.

“Though marginal, we have recorded GDP growth over two quarters; Q2 2020 and Q1 2021. This is evidence of a successful execution of the ESP by the Federal Government. “My vision of pulling 100 million poor Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years has been put into action and can be seen in the National Social Investment Programme, a first in Africa and one of the largest in the world where over 32.6m beneficiaries are taking part. We now have a National Social register of poor and vulnerable households, identified across 708 local government areas, 8,723 wards and 86,610 communities in the 36 States and the FCT. “Our conditional cash transfer program has benefited over 1.6 million poor and vulnerable households comprising more than 8 million individuals. This provides a monthly stipend of N10, 000 per household. “I have also recently approved the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy Plan that augments existing plans to further reduce poverty in Nigeria. “As at the end of 2020, the Development Bank of Nigeria had disbursed 324 billion Naira in loans to more than 136,000 MSMEs, through 40 participating Financial Institutions. I am to note that 57% of these beneficiaries are women while 27% are the youth. “We are able to do all these and still accelerate our infrastructure development through sensible and transparent borrowing, improved capital inflow, improving and increasing revenue through capturing more tax bases and prudent management of investment proceeds in the Sovereign Wealth Fund.” He said.