First African Nobel laureate in Literature, Prof. Wole Soyinka said June 12 is the real democracy day Nigerians should celebrate and not May 29 he called "Ego Day" of a former President of Nigeria.

Soyinka was interviewed by Yemi Ogunsola, Kabir Alabi Garba, Debo Oladimeji and Ajibola Amzat of The Guardian and published in The Guardian on Saturday June 8, 2012.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123912:life-is-constant-struggle&catid=188:cover&Itemid=715

You can learn more about the relevance and significance of June 12 in the political history of Nigeria on http://www.punchng.com/politics/june-12-historic-election-that-shook-nigeria/

Soyinka is wrong, June 12 was the day a man who we voted into power developed cold feet and ran away in the face of challenges, he did not claim his presidential mandate we gave him on June 12. That day should be penciled down in history as "cowards day"

7842I: Soyinka is wrong, June 12 was the day a man who we voted into power developed cold feet and ran away in the face of challenges, he did not claim his presidential mandate we gave him on June 12. That day should be penciled down in history as "cowards day"

You must another misinformed Nigerian.
Read http://www.punchng.com/politics/june-12-historic-election-that-shook-nigeria/

[size=18pt]
On June 11, 1994, Abiola declared a Government of National Unity at Epetedo in Lagos. In a speech titled ‘Enough is Enough’, he said, “As of now, from this moment, a new Government of National Unity is in power throughout the length and breath of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, led by me, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, as President and Commander-in-Chief. The National Assembly is hereby reconvened. All dismissed governors are reinstated. The State Assemblies are reconstituted, as are all local government councils. I urge them to adopt a bi-partisan approach to all the issues that come before them. At the national level, a bi-partisan approach will be our guiding principle. I call upon the usurper, General Sani Abacha, to announce his resignation forthwith, together with the rest of his illegal ruling council. “We are prepared to enter into negotiations with them to work out the mechanics for a smooth transfer of power. I pledge that if they hand over quietly, they will be retired with all their entitlements, and their positions will be accorded all the respect due to them. For our objective is neither recrimination nor witch-hunting, but an enforcement of the will of the Nigerian people, as expressed in free elections conducted by the duly constituted authority of the time.

“I hereby invoke the mandate bestowed upon me by my victory in the said election, to call on all members of the Armed Forces and the Police, the Civil and Public Services throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria , to obey only the Government of National Unity that is headed by me, your only elected President. My Government of National Unity is the only legitimate, constituted authority in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as of now.”

Abiola had famously declared, “I cannot surrender (my mandate) unless the people so demand and it is by virtue of this mandate that I say that the decision of the Federal Military Government to cancel the results (of the elections) is unpatriotic and capable of causing undue and unnecessary confusion in the country.”

The move led to his arrest and subsequent death in detention.[/size]

7842I: Soyinka is wrong, June 12 was the day a man who we voted into power developed cold feet and ran away in the face of challenges, he did not claim his presidential mandate we gave him on June 12. That day should be penciled down in history as "cowards day"

I tell you bruv, his family wishes he was a coward. Claiming his mandate led him to jail and his eventual murder.

[size=18pt]MKO Abiola's Epetedo Declaration[/size]

Text of the proclamation speech by the late M.K.O. Abiola on Saturday,
June 11, 1994, announcing the formation of a Government of National
Unity (GNU) at Epetedo, Lagos.

PEOPLE of Nigeria, exactly one year ago, you turned out in your
millions to vote for me, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, as the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. But politicians in uniform, who call
themselves soldiers but are more devious than any civilian would want
to be, deprived you of your God-given right to be ruled by the
President you had yourselves elected. These soldier-politicians
introduced into our body politic, a concept hitherto unknown to our
political lexicography, something strangely called the “annulment” of
an election perceived by all to have been the fairest, cleanest and
most peaceful ever held in our nation. Since that abominable act of
naked political armed robbery occurred, I have been constantly urged
by people of goodwill, both in Nigeria and abroad, to put the matter
back into the people’s hands and get them to actualise the mandate
they gave me at the polls. But mindful of the need to ensure that
peace continues to reign in our fragile federation, I have so far
tried to pursue sweet reason and negotiation. My hope has always been
to arouse whatever remnants of patriotism are left in the hearts of
these thieves of your mandate, and to persuade them that they should
not allow their personal desire to rule to usher our beloved country
into an era of political instability and economic ruin. All I have
sought to do, in seeking dialogue with them, has been to try and get
them to realise that only real democracy can move our nation forward
towards progress, and earn her the respect she deserves from the
international community.

However, although this peaceful approach has exposed me to severe
censure by some who have mistaken it for weakness on my part, those
with whom I have sought to dialogue have remained like stones, neither
stirred to show loyalty to the collective decision of the people of
their own country, nor to observe Allah’s injunction that they should
exhibit justice and fair-play in all their dealings with their fellow
men. Appeals to their honour as officers and gentlemen of the gallant
Nigerian Armed Forces, have fallen on deaf ears. Instead, they have
resorted to the tactics of divide and rule, bribery and political
perfidy, misinformation and (vile) propaganda. They arrest everyone
who disagrees with them. Even the 71-year old hero of our nation,
Chief Anthony Enahoro, was not spared. How much longer can we tolerate
all this? People of Nigeria, you are all witnesses that I have tried
to climb the highest mountain, cross the deepest river and walk the
longest mile, in order to get these men to obey the will of our
people. There is no humiliation I have not endured, no snare that has
not been put in my path, no “set-up” that has not been designed for me
in my endeavour to use the path of peace to enforce the mandate that
you bestowed on me one year ago. It has been a long night. But the
dawn is here. Today, people of Nigeria, I join you all in saying,
“Enough is Enough!”

We have endured 24 years of military rule in our 34 years of
independence. Military rule has led to our nation fighting a civil war
with itself. Military rule has destabilised our nation today as not
before in its history. Military rule has impoverished our people and
introduced a dreadful trade in drugs which has made our country’s name
an anathema in many parts of the world. Even soccer fans going to
watch the Green Eagles display in America are being made to suffer
there needlessly because Nigeria’s name is linked with credit card and
fraud and “419.” Politically, military rule has torn to shreds the
prestige due to our country because of its size and population. The
permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council that should be
rightfully ours, is all but lost. For who will vote for Nigeria to get
the seat if Nigerian military rulers do not respect the votes of their
own people? Enough of military rule.

We are sickened to see people who have shown little or no personal
achievement, either in building up private businesses, or making
success of any tangible thing, being placed in charge of the
management of our nation’s economy, by rulers who are not accountable
to anyone. Enough of square pegs in round holes. We are tired of the
military repetitive tendency to experiment with our economy: Today,
they say “no controls.” Tomorrow; they say “Full controls”. The day
after, they say “Fine tuning”. The next day, they say “Devaluation.” a
few days later, they say “Revalue the same naira upwards again Abi?”
All we can see are the consequences of this permanent game of military
“about turns;” high inflation , a huge budget deficit and an enormous
foreign debt repayment burden, dying industries, high unemployment and
a demoralised populace. Our youths, in particular, can see no hope on
the horizon, and many can only dream of escaping from our shores to
join the brain drain. Is this the Nigeria we want?

We are plagued also by periodic balance of payments crises, which have
led to a perennial shortage of essential drugs, that has turned our
hospitals and clinics into mortuaries. A scarcity of books and
equipment has rendered our schools into desolate deserts of ignorance.
Our factories are crying for machinery, spare parts and raw materials.
But each day that passes, instead of these economic diseases being
cured, they are rather strengthened as an irrational allocation of
foreign exchange based on favouritism and corruption becomes the order
of the day. Enough is enough of economic mismanagement! People of
Nigeria, during the election campaign last year, I presented you with
a programme entitled “HOPE ’93?. This programme was aimed precisely at
solving these economic (problems) that have demoralized us all. I
toured every part of Nigeria to present this programme to you the
electorate. I was questioned on it at public rallies and press
conferences and I had the privilege of incorporating into it much of
the feedback that I obtained from the people. Because you knew I would
not only listen to you but deliver superb results from the programme,
you voted for me in your millions and gave me an overwhelming majority
over my opponent. To be precise, you gave me 58.4 per cent of the
popular vote and a majority in 20 out of 30 states plus the Federal
Capital Territory, Abuja. Not only that, you also enabled me to fulfil
the constitutional requirement that the winner should obtain one-third
of the votes in two-thirds of the states. I am sure that when you cast
an eye on the moribund state of Nigeria today, you ask yourselves:
“What have we done to deserve this, when we have a president-elect who
can lead a government that can change things for the better?

Our patience has come to an end. As of now, from this moment, a new
Government of National Unity is in power throughout the length and
breath of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, led by me, Bashorun M.K.O.
Abiola, as President and Commander-in-Chief. The National Assembly is
hereby reconvened. All dismissed governors are reinstated. The State
Assemblies are reconstituted, as are all local government councils. I
urge them to adopt a bi-partisan approach to all the issues that come
before them. At the national level, a bi-partisan approach will be our
guiding principle. I call upon the usurper, General Sani Abacha, to
announce his resignation forthwith, together with the rest of his
illegal ruling council. We are prepared to enter into negotiations
with them to work out the mechanics for a smooth transfer of power. I
pledge that if they hand over quietIy, they will be retired with all
their entitlements, and their positions will be accorded all the
respect due to them. For our objective is neither recrimination nor
witch-hunting, but an enforcement of the will of the Nigerian people,
as expressed in free elections conducted by the duly constituted
authority of the time.

I hereby invoke the mandate bestowed upon me by my victory in the said
election, to call on all members of the Armed Forces and the Police,
the Civil and Public Services throughout the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, to obey only the Government of National Unity that is headed
by me, your only elected President. My Government of National Unity is
the only legitimate, constituted authority in the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, as of now.” People of Nigeria, these are challenging times in
the history of our continent, Africa, and we in Nigeria must not allow
ourselves to be left behind. Our struggle is the same as that waged by
the people of South Africa, which has been successfully concluded,
with the inauguration of Mr. Nelson Mandela as the first African
President of that country. Nelson Mandela fought to replace MINORITY
rule with MAJORITY rule. We in Nigeria are also fighting to replace
MINORITY rule, for we are ruled by only a tiny section of our armed
forces. Like the South Africans, we want MAJORITY rule today, that is
rule only by those chosen by all the people of Nigeria as a whole in
free and fair elections. The only difference between South Africa and
Nigeria is that those who imposed minority rule on the majority rule
whether it is by black or white, remains minority rule, and must be
booted out.

I call on you, heroic people of Nigeria, to emulate the actions of
your brothers and sisters in South Africa and stand up as one person
to throw away the yoke of minority rule for ever. The antics of every
minority that oppresses the majority are always the same. They will
try to intimidate you with threats of police action. But do not let us
fear arrest. In South Africa, so many people were arrested, during the
campaign against the Pass Laws, for instance, that the jails could not
hold all of them. Today, apartheid is gone for ever. So, let it be
with Nigeria. Let us say goodbye forever to minority rule by the
military. They talk of treason. But haven’t they heard of the Rivonia
treason trial in South Africa? Did those treason trials halt the march
of history? People of Nigeria, ourtime is now. You are the repository
of power in the land. No one can give you power. It is yours. Take it!
From this day, show to the world that anyone who takes the people of
Nigeria for fools is deceiving himself and will have the people to
answer to. God bless you all.Long live the Federal Republic
ofNigeria.Long live the Government of National Unity.