JUNE 12, 1993: THE MOST INFAMOUS DATE IN NIGERIA POLITICAL HISTORY, THE HOROSCOPE BEHIND IT'S RELEVANCE ON THE NATION POLITICAL TERRAIN AND ITS' UNIQUENESS TO THE S.U.G. UNIBEN SECRETARIAT (JUNE 12 BUILDING) BY HON. JATTO JOHN OVIE.

June 12, 1993 to this moment seem just like yesterday, but it is not just another calendar day in Nigeria; because in progressive ideological circles, today is regarded as the authentic ‘Democracy Day’ as against the ‘May 29′ popularly celebrated by the Federal Govt of Nigeria.

Here are twelve important historic facts you need to know about this date according to Ajomole Helen of Naij.com;

1. The date is celebrated in honour of an annulled presidential election in June 12, 1993. Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced till date.

2. The election was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida, because of alleged evidence that they were corrupt and unfair, a development that ushered in a political crisis that led to General Sani Abacha seizing power later that year.

3. In 1994, Abiola declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria in the Epetedo area of Lagos island, an area mainly dominated by Lagos Indigenes, after he returned from a trip to solicit the support of the international community for his mandate. After declaring himself president he was declared wanted and was accused of treason and arrested on the orders of military President General Sani Abacha, who sent 200 police vehicles to bring him into custody.

4. Moshood Abiola was detained for four years, largely in solitary confinement with a Bible, Qur'an, and fourteen guards as companions.

5. Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua is said to have predicted the annulment to Abiola and warned him against contesting.

6. Abiola's involvement in politics started at a young age. He was  19-years-old when he joined the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) in 1979.

7. For the June 12, 1993 presidential elections, Abiola's running mate was Baba Gana Kingibe. He overwhelmingly defeated his rival, Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention.

8. Abiola died on July 7, 1998 on the day he was due to be released from incarceration under suspicious circumstances shortly after the death of General Abacha. The official autopsy stated that Abiola died of natural causes, but Abacha's chief security officer, Al-Mustapha alleged he was beaten to death.

9. MKO Abiola used a "Hope" campaign which President Barrack Obama also used. Many people may have paid attention to the word "Hope" being used to convey a message of possibility during Obama's 2008 election in America, but 15 years before then in Africa's most populous nation, MKO Abiola became a rallying figure for many Nigerians with his "Hope" campaign.

10. MKO Abiola died for the June 12 mandate but he was not the only June 12 casualty as General Sani Abacha also died in mysterious circumstances on June 8, 1998.

11. Chief MKO Abiola's memory is celebrated in Nigeria and internationally. June 12, remains a public holiday in Lagos and Ogun states and other All progressive Congress party states. MKO Abiola Stadium was named in his honour.

12. The election was declared Nigeria's freest and fairest presidential election by national and international observers, with Abiola even winning in his Northern opponent's home state.

June 12 is thus a day to remember chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola as well as other democracy martyrs.


IT'S UNIQUENESS WITH THE SUG UNIBEN SECRETARIAT (JUNE 12).

The Union secretariat cannot be written off history to this infamous date (June 12, 1993), because after the annulment of 1993 election, series and chains of events played out. To bring clarity to this subject matter, I have to crave your indulgence to buttress on that fact that the informations at my disposal were used to create this piece.

The June 12 Secretariat (Building) was originally called "The Nelson Mandela Building" named after the iconic South African legend late Nelson Mandela, before the completed building was commissioned by the then President-elect himself, Bashorun MKO Abiola on 27th, October 1993 and was renamed to the June 12 Building.

I imagined MKO Abiola never predicted that in four (4) months and 14 days after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election to October 27, 1993, he would be coming to the great University Of Benin to grace the podium by honouring the Union request to commission the first ever completed SUG building secretariat.

The Nelson Mandela Building was later renamed to "The William Ubong Secretariat" in honor of the most epitomized SUG Secretary General, 1997 in person of late comr. William Ubong of Blessed memory.

MKO Abiola fame waxed stronger and spread across the country. Later that same year 1993, June 12 became a common and household name and even had an effect on students of tertiary institutions amidst nationwide protests.

June 12 became one of the most infamous date in Nigeria political history and up till this day, it's been celebrated nationwide and internationally, some even refer to it as the "true democracy day", we still savour this moment to call our Union secretariat, "June 12 Building" till date.


HOW CAN WE FORGET THE TRAUMA OF THAT PERIOD ?

According to one of my sources, it was said that during the presidential debate in 1993, Abiola spoke to Nigerians and answered their questions on what his plans are and how he will help Nigeria to become great. June 12, 1993 came with a manifesto and programs of hope. That is why it is sad that we didn't experience the reign of Abiola.

A mandate similar to what Abiola got in 1993 and the hopes and confidence that came with it are necessary ingredients for growth and development of Nigeria. I don't think anybody can rule Nigeria successfully without a mandate similar to that which Abiola obtained in 1993. The mandate cut across religion, regions and tribes. It was a universal mandate, made in Nigeria.

It will also be impossible for anyone to lead Nigeria and make meaningful progress without a manifesto of hope and programs that are well planned and thought through.

The June 12, 1993 election had represented for Nigeria a life-time opportunity for national unity. The elections defied religious considerations to produce a Muslim president and vice president both men having received an overwhelming mandate of all Nigerians. The annulment of the exercise unleashed unsavoury events that the country is yet to recover from till today.

The transition programme did not only gulp an estimated N40 billion of our national resources, it also led to authoritarian resurgence, cost lives of many Nigerians including Chief MKO Abiola and his wife, Kudirat, Chief Alfred Rewane among others. Besides, many elder statesmen and national icons were forced into exile.

In conclusion, It is quite unfortunate and pathetic that barely 24 years after; villains, who ought to be regretfully examining their consciences in some penitentiary still have the audacity to rewrite our history before the actors, many of whom are still alive and even leading. It speaks to the damage that has been done to Nigeria's history. Certainly, an awakening to the nation's history in the academia and in the consciousness of all Nigerians is the only answer to such revisionism.


BY; HON. JATTO JOHN OVIE
SUG SECRETARY GENERAL, UNIBEN.

CC. lalasticlaca , seun ,mynd44 , dominique

Loads of knowledge in that piece, we've been through a lot in Nigeria. We the youths need to wake up, real value of life is not coming anytime soon.

The masses have been pushed constantly against the wall by these so called elder statesmen, they crave for power as if it's going to make them immortal.

Tribalism is eating our hearts out in present times, our generation is focused on tearing each other apart instead of securing our now, future and that of the upcoming generation. It's a pity we haven't learned from the past.


No steady power supply

Petrol pump price is absurd

Cost of every things is tripling

Security agents harrasing civilians that they we're sworn to protect and serve.

Jungle justice is becoming the order of the day

Ritualist in every corner of the states

Abandoned babies dead or alive popping up every other day.

Political parties cooking up stories to divert us from the real problem.

Government workers have got no choice than to sell off thier properties to feed themselves and families, how can a true leader go to sleep belly filled when his followers have not been paid 12 months salary?

Kidnappers now operate in all states.

3 out 5 young boys are planning to join the yahoo boy squad, because that's what their elder brothers and friends are into to survive. Those that are not literate enough to use a computer or just dont have access to it, would either venture into the local scams or end up on the streets to loot others.

As a young chap , you're suppose to depend on your parents to fend for you at least for a while till you're almost out of the university. What happens when you go home to your parents for cash and both of them hasn't been paid their salaries for almost a year, that's another frustrated young boy looking up the word hustle hard.

The list goes on and on, i can only HOPE for a better democracy that would put the citizens first and not themselves.


The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy - Kalu Kalu

why celebrate a scam now I know education is a waste in Yoruba land ....I and the real Yoruba's ll not be subjected to this madness every year abiola remains a law breaker and deserves what he got

A word is enough for the wise!
He who has ear let them hear!

Nigeria just seems to be a compendium of sad, annoying events. There seems to be nothing in the Nigerian history that can make anyone want to be patriotic.

The annulment of the June 12 election, the murders of MKO Abiola, his wife, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Dele Giwa, etc, all just show that the "one Nigeria" tale is a scam.

Adiola:
why celebrate a scam now I know education is a waste in Yoruba land ....I and the real Yoruba's ll not be subjected to this madness every year abiola remains a law breaker and deserves what he got

Did you even read the post at all? Who is the real law breaker here? The military government that did not have the mandate of the people to lead, but gained and held on to power through force.... or a candidate whom majority of Nigerians still agree till date to have been popularly elected, but was denied the power to exercise the peoples' mandate?

Shift away from here with this kind of reasoning abeg. You're giving me further reasons to lose hope in Nigeria.

Irrespective of MKO Abiola's perceived moral shortcomings and alleged financial misappopriation, the unblemished truth is that his stolen mandate was a boot in the faces of Nigerians as a whole.


Regardless of ethnic, religious or tribal divide, the nation actually trooped out en masse to vote for Abiola/Kingibe, a Muslim/Muslim ticket, and truth be told, the usurping of that mandate was the biggest blow democracy has received in Nigeria.

It set the stage for political marauders to initiate and pepertuate electoral fraud, using the apparently gullible and docile Nigerian masses as cannon fodder, or more accurately, willing labrats.


I'm not certain as to exactly what the militating factors that led to the annulmentof the election were, but I'm certain of one thing: if Nigerians had vehemently resisted the theft of their mandate, our democracy would have been at least an adolescent, instead of the bumbling, crawling, Pampers-wearing toddler she still is.

Unfortunately,Abiola was betrayed by his own people.

Can't this people stop this June 12 shit thing

nigeria is honestly a 3rd world country


how many years we cant even get the tiniest of things right


from electricity to election



nada

Adiola:
why celebrate a scam now I know education is a waste in Yoruba land ....I and the real Yoruba's ll not be subjected to this madness every year abiola remains a law breaker and deserves what he got

Haha, atleast try to pretend as if u get small brain na.

A Trial will convince you

I remembered dos days of abiola milk, and oso abiola such a memorable event, everytin was in a standstill in aba dos days, I was a little then shaa

alexiej:


Did you even read the post at all? Who is the real law breaker here? The military government that did not have the mandate of the people to lead, but gained and held on to power through force.... or a candidate whom majority of Nigerians still agree till date to have been popularly elected, but was denied the power to exercise the peoples' mandate?

Shift away from here with this kind of reasoning abeg. You're giving me further reasons to lose hope in Nigeria.

there are two ways to assume power ,election and coup either maintains law order abi your constitution written by the army is not valid abi