Comrade Moshood Erubami, a trained finance expert, is a human rights and pro-democracy activist and an anti-corruption advocate.
In this interview with Razaq Bamidele, Erubami lamented that despite the declaration of June 12, as Democracy Day, enough justice has not been done to the significance of the day.
What is your take on June 12?
Beyond the recognition of June 12, as one day in a month among the twelve calendar months of every year, the significance of June 12 resides in the manner the presidential election of 1993 was annulled despite that the principal in that election, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Chief MKO Abiola, won undisputedly. The annulment was unacceptable to the millions of voters, who participated in the election and it was condemned by local and international election observers, including genuine democrats worldwide, who believed in democracy and legitimate elections.
The military regime of Ibrahim Babangida tried to wish the day away. It could not, before he transmitted power to the Shonekan administration that was also forced to yield position to the Abacha/Diya interregnum before the beneficiary and usurper of the saddening annulment, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, took over power in 1999.
In actual fact, Chief Obasanjo’s adoption of May 29, as Democracy Day was a diabolical scheme to rubbish the significance of June 12 and all its inherent principles, so as to falsify history and distance Nigerians from the mandate.
Unfortunately, the annulment created a stalemate between the military, who were supported by their civilian surrogates and the human rights and pro-democracy community and the people whose hope was very high and expecting huge beneficial mandate delivery from Chief Abiola.
The most painful was that the annulment of June 12 was to discredit the important landmark principles inherent in the election. It was an election never witnessed in the history of the country’s search for good leaders and democracy accompanied by certain deserved imperatives.
Never in the history of elections in Nigeria had the electorate spoken with one voice about who they wanted as their leader. Only on June 12, did Nigeria jettison the choice and pairing of president and his or her vice on the basis of religion. It was the first time that Nigerians voted for a Muslim/Muslim ticket, Basorun Abiola and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, his vice, both being Muslims.
Ever since that date, successive governments played series of antics to dump the celebration of the day, as being significant, but the day continues to impel its significance in the massive democratic support of the people.
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In my take, indeed, June 12, 1993 marked a watershed as an election date that ethnicity became less important in choosing a candidate because Bashorun Abiola, a Yoruba, became the toast of most Nigerians from across the country, in an election in which he beat his opponent, Usman Tofa, even in his (Tofa) village in Kano State. It was a day that marked a new history of power transition from military regime to civilian administration and from the northern oligarchy to the South, a feat that political infidels did not allow to be seen through, regrettably.
It was in the election of June 12, 1993 that Bashorun Abiola made the highest sacrifice to make democracy be in Nigeria. He did not only pay the supreme price dying, but also lost his wife, lost his businesses and still failed to climb the seat of power that he won.
Has justice been done to it eventually?
Not quite so, until President Muhammadu Buhari summoned courage to go out of the way of past leaders, to magnanimously declare the day, as a Democracy Day with a public holiday. He also granted the highest National Award to the principal in the election, a feat that reversed the years for which Chief Abiola was not remembered by government and left to remain unsung for 26 years.
We can say here boldly that the recognition of the day, as Democracy Day and award given to the undisputed winner is still not enough justice. And it would not until the Democracy Day is organised by the government, with the families of the martyr in attendance with human rights and pro-democracy activists, who were dogged in the struggle for the de-annulment of June 12.
What then can you say about President Buhari’s action on June 12?
I would give a big kudos to him. His courage was unsurpassed among the leaders that have been since the annulment of the June 12 election. His acknowledgement of the importance resident in the day was quite unexpected, with Chief Abiola being a suspected financier of the military coup that ousted Gen. Muhammadu Buhari from power in 1985.
However, his singular action has portrayed him, as a man of great character and truly remarkable president of the moment, who should be commended glowingly for achieving where his predecessor, Dr. Ebele Goodluck Jonathan, condemnably demonstrated very weak leadership in failing to back by law, his declaration of the posthumous naming of the University of Lagos after Basorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.
Apart from celebration of the day as Democracy Day, what else do you expect Buhari to add?
The president should not be limited to merriments and gala night alone among government officials and special invitees. The day should be seriously used by government beyond historical exhibition in arts, pictures and immersive environment, secondary schools exhibition/panel commissioning to report on government major activities of anti-corruption, insecurity and the economy, on recorded successes and shortfalls on programme and policies under “State of the Nation Address.”
The Democracy Day should also provide a forum for “People’s Rally” in all the states of the federation for the people to express their support, commend or condemn government programes and seek change through their resolutions given that June 12, as Democracy Day was secured through years of mass rallies, peaceful agitation and protests.
President Buhari should strengthen his award for democracy by introducing electoral and constitutional reforms that will make the appointment of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, chairman multi-stakeholdership, in which the incumbent president is denied the power to single handedly appoint electoral commissioners and chairman.
Security agencies assigned with electoral duties must be diligent in ensuring a violence-free atmosphere for accreditation and election, use their initiatives to protect electoral materials and human rights of voters during and after the elections.
Election stakeholders, namely, the political parties, party candidates, INEC, security agencies and the electorate must adhere to guidelines, rules and regulations set out to be free, fair, free from fear and legitimate elections.
In addition, one notable stadium and airport must be named after him to complete the honour package. Posthumous conferment of the rank of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, GCFR, on the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola is recognition of his undeclared victory; hence his photographs must be pasted on the walls and offices of governments nationwide.
Finally, deserving national honours should be further bestowed on other democrats and political activists, who waged strident struggle to get June 12 annulment reversed and later to be recognised or died in the process. Examples are compatriots like Abiola’s wife, Kudirat, Pa Alfred Rewane, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Alex Ibru, Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Alao Aka-Bashorun, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Comrade Chima Ubani, Pa Anthony Enahoro, Comrade Ola Oni, Baba Omojola among others too numerous to mention.
In the same vein, those who annulled June 12 should be consigned to the dustbin of history.
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How comfortable are you with the electoral processes under Buhari?
Not quite, internally and externally. Internally, I am talking of election in party primaries. Externally, the ones being conducted by INEC, which have not for years, learnt from the reports of local and international observers. The same report they wrote years back is what has become the routine. The legislators, who are obviously vindictive against the president are not allowing for genuine electoral reforms. Those found to be rubbishing electoral laws and INEC guidelines are people, who are above the law being allowed to go scot free unaccountably.
Can you say Buhari has been properly democratised?
I can say President Buhari is an adapted military general and reformed a bit in the sense of being properly democratised. His democratic application of power in some instances that require unsparing and nonselective dispensation is still the bane.
The imperative of the current political dispensation cannot be successfully underpinned for success without adding some horsetail to beef up our democracy. Not doing that is why the president is not succeeding much in meeting the high hopes of Nigerians, who risked voting for him. Most politicians and past military leaders walking freely around and some of those in government should be in maximum prisons.
How soon can Nigeria be liberated from the grip of retired Generals?
It is a sad tale from the historical struggle of the civil societies and human rights groups, who have, for years, divorced politics from their struggles. Most leaders of the civil society have been distracted by the surplus being gained from exchange of dollar to naira, at the expense of their country’s currency. Most human rights activists are today comfortable, carrying out implicit struggle than the explicit, trying all times to criticise government in the sense that they can run government better, but if they can do, why are they sweeping the dirty rooms of politics from outside. The consequence of not being in politics is what we are all facing today; being ruled by our inferiors. Unless and until we all agree to engage ourselves in a renewed struggle to displace and replace the current political infidels in power, we won’t be able to witness successes from years of governance as it were, so shall we continue to operate under the grip of retired Generals and their stand-in in the civil service.
Can you compare and contrast Buhari and Obasanjo, as military Generals in politics?
Frankly speaking, Pa Obasanjo is not democratically disciplined, dignified and humble as Gen. Buhari in democracy. Obasanjo has the incurable weakness of being too unrealistic and unstatesmanly in his condemnation of others, especially his predecessors and successors in power. Buhari is humble, steadfast and easygoing reformed military democrat to a fault. What endeared him to most Nigerians in his first term, as military leader were discipline, courage and anti-corruption war. He imbibed these qualities for the fear of being tagged a despot whereas, this is the time that every discernible Nigerian expect him to stand mightily on the toes of corrupt politicians and civil servants and thereafter crush their legs for sanity to reign in Nigeria.