FELIX NWANERI writes on the 32nd anniversary of the annulled 1993 presidential election, which represents an enduring struggle for democratic values and the importance of free and fair elections

Today’s anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election offers Nigerians another opportunity to reflect on the struggle for true and representative democracy and the man, who symbolizes that struggle.

It is reflections today as Nigeria marks the 27th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election that stands as a watershed in Nigeria’s electoral process as well as the struggle reshaped the country’s political history over its annulment.

The election marked the conclusion of the transition programme to return Nigeria to democratic rule after 10 years of military rule.

However, the General Ibrahim Babangida-led military government that initiated the transition programme equally voided the result of the poll, which still stands as a watershed in Nigeria’s electoral process. The election’s result was inconclusive before it was annulled on June 23, 1993, in a most bizarre manner.

Initial figures released by the then National Electoral Commission (NEC), showed that the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Moshood Abiola, was coasting to victory before the military junta directed the electoral body to stop further announcement of results from the remaining few states. This triggered widespread protests that later forced Babangida to resign on August 26, 1993.

He, however, signed a decree that established an Interim National Government (ING) headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan. The ING was ousted three months later (November) by the then Minister of Defence, General Sani Abacha. However, the coming of Abacha did not deter MKO (as Abiola was popularly known) from insisting on his mandate.

In 1994, he declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria in Epetedo area of Lagos Island. He had then returned from a trip to win the support of the international community for his mandate. Abiola was consequently accused of treason and arrested on the orders of Abacha.

The Ogun State born businessman was detained for four years, largely in solitary confinement. While some notable political and religious leaders across the globe lobbied for Abiola’s release, the Abacha-led junta insisted that he renounce his mandate, a condition MKO rebuffed.

While many still believe that there was no justification for annulment of the election, others have continued to wonder how Abiola was able to secure a landmark victory in the poll. While there is no doubt that he symbolised the aspirations of many Nigerians at that time, his “Hope ‘93 Manifesto,” which became a sing-song, also played a significant role.

The policy paper was received with optimism by many, especially the downtrodden and middle class. Abiola’s political message was an optimistic future for Nigeria, with slogans such as “Farewell to poverty,” “At last! Our ray of Hope” and the “Burden of Schooling.”

His economic policy included negotiations with foreign creditors and better management of the country’s international debts. Unfortunately, Abiola never lived to implement the policy paper in which he had provided answers to pervasive poverty and dearth of infrastructure that still bedevil the country till date.

The man, who would have been president between 1993 and 1998 and even beyond, died on July 7, 1998, in the custody of the Federal Government. His death was shortly after Abacha’s demise and on a day that he was due to be released. His wife, Kudirat, had earlier (1996) been assassinated by agents of the government.

Setting the record straight

While Abiola’s insistence that he won the poll was a subject of debate for years, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, the then chairman of NEC, set the record straight on The tragic irony of history remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted those near-perfect elections could not complete the process June 12, 2008.

The professor of Political Science (now late), in his book titled, “Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Democracy: My Account of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election and its Annulment,” affirmed that Abiola won the election.

He stated that out of the 14,396,917 votes cast during the election, Abiola polled 8,323,305 votes, while his opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa of National Republican Convention (NRC) had 6,073,612 votes.

Nwosu further stated that Tofa had one-third of votes in 23 states out of the then 30 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, while Abiola had one-third of votes in 28 states, thereby satisfying the constitutional requirement to be declared winner.

According to results of the election published on pages 296 to 298 of the 392-page book, the states which Abiola won were Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory.

The tragic irony of history remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted those near-perfect elections could not complete the process

Tofa, on his part, won Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Imo, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Rivers and Sokoto states. He, however, blamed an order by the Abuja High Court, served on the commission on June 15, 1993, for the inability of the election management body to release a conclusive result of the election. Nwosu, in the 392-page book, also revealed forces that sabotaged the election.

Babangida’s account

Babangida initially explained that he was compelled to nullify the poll because of security threats to the enthronement of a democratic government at the time. He pointed out that the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), which he headed then knew that Abiola, if inaugurated as president, would be toppled through a military coup, a situation he said his government did not want.

According to him, his regime decided that theirs’ would be the last that will ascend the seat of power through a coup, and that it made no sense to install a democratic government that would be truncated within another six months.

However, he admitted that the poll was the best ever conducted in Nigeria’s history. His words: “June 12 was accepted by Nigerians as the best of elections in Nigeria. It was free and fair.

But unfortunately, we cancelled that election. I used the word unfortunately, for the first time. We were in government at the time and we knew the possible consequences of handing over to a democratic government. We did well that we wanted ours to be the last military coup deta’t. To be honest, the situation was not ripe to hand over at the time.

“The issue of security of the nation was a threat and we would have considered ourselves to have failed, if six months after handover, there was another coup. I went through a coup deta’t and I survived it.

We knew that there would be another coup deta’t. But not many people believed what we said. They could have allowed me to go away and then they (coup plotters) would regroup and stage another coup.”

The former military president, however gave a more detailed account of his role in the Jume 12 impasse in his autobiography, “A Journey in Service,” that was launched in February this year.

The book, which offers insights into key moments in the country’s history, besides the annulled election, also addresses some national controversies, including the coups oof 1966 and others after that and the civil war, among others.

Reflecting on his decision to annul the June 12 election, Babangida for the first time, admitted that Abiola won the election. He also admitted that if given another chance, he will handle the situation differently. He wrote: “Undoubtedly, a credible, free and fair election was held on June 12, 1993.

However, the tragic irony of history remains that the administration that devised a near-perfect electoral system and conducted those nearperfect elections could not complete the process.

“That accident of history is most regrettable. The nation is entitled to expect my impression of regret. As a leader of the military administration, I accept full responsibility for all decisions taken under my watch.

“June 12 happened under my watch, mistakes, oversights and missteps happened in quick succession, but I say in my book, in all matters, we acted in the supreme national interest, so that Nigeria could survive. “Our nation’s march to democracy was interrupted, a fact that I deeply regret. But Nigeria and democracy is still alive, a testament to commitment. June 12 election was the most challenging of my life.

If have to do it all over again, I’ll do it differently.” While many are of the view that there is nothing new in Babangida’s acknowledgement that Abiola won the election, the former military president’s claim that the election was annulled without his consent, was dismissed by many.

Babangida revealed in his book that he was in Katsina when the announcement annulling the election came without his knowledge or approval.

According to him, the forces behind the annulment were led by his then Chief of Defence Staff, General Abacha. Babangida, who had delivered a national broadcast on June 24, 1993, to formally announce the annulment, claimed that Abacha had grown too powerful within the factionalised military, making it nearly impossible to remove him after stepping down from office in August 1993.

He recalled giving Prof. Nwosu, a direct order to proceed with the elections despite mounting tensions, but noted that Nwosu abruptly stopped the announcement of result four days later without his prior knowledge or approval. “On June 16, without my knowledge or prior approval, NEC Chairman, Prof. Nwosu, announced the suspension of the June 12 election results ‘until further notice.’

I knew instantly that certain fifth columnists were at work and that there was a need for extra care! “And even after that suspension of the announcements of results, ABN (Association of Better Nigeria) obtained another ‘strange’ court order from Justice Saleh’s court in Abuja, stopping the release of the results of the elections,” he wrote.

Babangida also recalled that on June 23, 1993, he left Abuja for Katsina to condole with the Yar’Adua family over the passing of their patriarch, Musa Yar’Adua, a former Minister of Lagos Affairs and father of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

According to him, “the funeral had taken place, and as I got ready to leave, a report filtered to me that the June 12 election had been annulled. Even more bizarre was the extent of the annulment because it terminated all court proceedings regarding the June 12 elections, repealed all the decrees governing the transition and even suspended NEC!

“Equally weird was the shabby way the statement was couched and made. Admiral (Augustus) Aikhomu’s press secretary, Nduka Irabor, had read out a terse, poorly worded statement from a scrap of paper, which bore neither the presidential seal nor the official letterhead of the government, annulling the June 12 presidential elections.

June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful election since our independence

I was alarmed and horrified.” Babangida admitted that while annulment had been discussed as one of several options, it was never meant to be executed in the manner that unfolded. “Yes, during the stalemate that followed the termination of the results announcement, the possibility of annulment that could lead to fresh elections was loosely broached in passing.

But annulment was only a component of a series of other options. “But to suddenly have an announcement made without my authority was, to put it mildly, alarming. I remember saying: ‘These nefarious ‘inside’ forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me!’

I would later find out that the ‘forces’ led by General Sani Abacha annulled the elections. “There and then, I knew I was caught between ‘a devil and the deep blue sea’!! From then on, the June 12 elections took on a painful twist for which, as I will show later, I regrettably take responsibility.”

Long walk to honour

Events after Abiola’s demise have shown that death could not becloud what he stood for as he remains in the consciousness of many, especially pro-democracy activists, who still view June 12, 1993, as a defining moment in Nigeria’s political history. This explains the annual convergence to mark the anniversary of the annulled election.

Until 2018, the yearly ritual offered Abiola’s political associates, activists and members of his family the opportunity to continue to insist that beyond the pockets of honour done to the late politician, the worthy thing for the Federal Government to do is to posthumously acknowledge him as Nigeria’s second duly elected president.

While post-1999 administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’adua failed to heed this demand, the Goodluck Jonathan government took a major step towards immortalizing Abiola by renaming the prestigious University of Lagos (UNILAG) to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAULAG) on May 29, 2012.

The then president, in a nationwide broadcast to mark that year’s Democracy Day (then celebrated on May 29), said the honour was in respect of Abiola’s sacrifice in his pursuit of justice and truth.

“Destiny and circumstances conspired to place upon his (Abiola) shoulders a historic burden, and he rose to the occasion with character and courage. He deserves recognition for his martyrdom, and public-spiritedness and for being the man of history that he was,” Jonathan said.

The gesture, which ordinarily would have earned the then president commendation, sparked-off a protest by students of the university, who trooped to the streets to reject the new name. The students, who made it clear that they had nothing against Abiola, described the name change as “provocative and unpopular.” The university’s lecturers also condemned the name change.

Beyond the students and lecturers, most political leaders in the SouthWest, who were then in the opposition, described the gesture as a political strategy by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to break into their zone as well as playing to the gallery given the position of successive governments by the same party before then.

Despite the criticisms, the Jonathan administration insisted on its decision to rename the university, but the protests continued. A legal suit was equally instituted against the government over the name change. These, perhaps, forced Jonathan to reverse the decision.

Declaration

The campaign to get the Federal Government to declare Abiola president received a major boost in 2018, when President Muhammadu Buhari (the immediate past president) declared June 12 as the nation’s Democracy Day as against May 29. Buhari also conferred on Abiola with the highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Others honoured were Abiola’s running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who were conferred with the second highest national honour – Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON). Buhari said of the annulled election: “June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful election since our independence.”