By Luka Binniyat
The House of Representatives will tomorrow debate on an edgy motion that seeks to declare the winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, Chief Moshood Abiola, President, posthumously.
The motion which was stood down at last Thursday’s plenary, also seeks to immortalise him by naming the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after him.
Sponsored by Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon (PDP/Edo) and supported by 36 other representatives from across the six geo-political zones, debate on the motion was abruptly stepped down by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Bayero Nafada, who was presided at last Thursday’s plenary.
The move irked some members from the South-South and South-West who interpreted the action of the Deputy Speaker as that not disposed to the motion.
However, the motion is billed on the Order Paper of tomorrow, with those against and in support of it gearing for a heated debate on the floor of the Green Chamber.
The resolve of the motion seeks to: “revalidate June 12 and Chief Moshood Abiola posthumously as the winner of that election with all rights and privileges of former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Rename Aso Rock Presidential Vila as Chief M.K.O. Abiola Presidential Villa, Abuja” and “immortalise the memory of Chief M.K.O. Abiola having selflessly sacrificed his life for the growth of democracy.”
Part of the motion reads: “on Saturday, June 12, , 1993, a presidential election was held throughout the length and breath of Nigeria by virtue of Decree No. 13 of 1993 Presidential Election Decree 1993 and that the election was conducted by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) under the Chairmanship of Prof. Henry Nwosu.
“The election was substantially and wholly in compliance with all the enabling and relevant regulatory laws in place at the time, particularly those regulating the entire transition programme of President Ibrahim Babaginda-led Federal Military Government, to wit:
“The result clearly showed that Chief M.K.O. Abiola of SDP won the Presidential election by scoring 8,341,306 votes representing 58.36 per cent of the total votes cast against the loser, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa of NRC who got 5,952,087 representing 41.64 per cent of the total votes cast.”
The motion also noted that, “the official announcement of the final result by NEC after announcing the result of 14 states was scuttled by IBB on Wednesday, June 23, 1993, by annulling the election and sacking the NEC by virtue of a press statement unsigned and undated issued on a piece of paper that bore no seal of government, distributed by Mr. Nduka Irabor, Press Secretary to the then Vice President Augustine Aikhomu.”
The motion affirmed that “the House of Representatives as the largest assemblage of representatives of Nigerians have the capacity, constitutional right and sensibilities of Nigerians by reversing the annulment, restoring the mandates of Nigerians freely given on that day to their preferred candidates, Chief M.K.O Abiola, so that our sacrifice and the over N50 billion that went into the prosecution of that transition programme is not in vain.”
Late Chief MKO Abiola was robbed of june 12 that is the truth; but, if the house meant well, there could be such better arrangement & not to raise fund that will be squandered again without record. ADIEU Moshood,
“MR DEMOCRACY”.
Unbelieveable,I never knew the house can think along with the masses.If they can see this through they would attract the support of the masses for life.May God bless those behind this loudable mission and may they succeed in all their dreams.I’m happy and I pray that this see light of the day,because it is through this means that the soul of MKO can forgive Nigeria and be at rest.Obasanjo could have done this easily but he doest not have a forgiven spirit but I know the truth will always spring up after the exit of the oppressor.
This move by the house of rep means that there is no problem or injury that time can not heal, though it is belated but it is heartwarming that the house some of us have regarded that nothing good can come from is now taking such commendable step. Recognising MKO Abiola as an ex-president is a welcome idea, it shows that what obasanjo considered worthless for eight years has now been taken to be worthwhile.Thanks in advance to the honourables but note that the best you can do for Abiola is to come out with policies that will advance the economy and allow the common man to have food on his table which is what Abiola stood for while he was alive.
House of Reps must be very cautious in dealing with a delicate issue such as this one.Nigeria is such a country of many mistakes,injustice,many goods and the very bads.There is no doubt, Abiola was a good man,philantropist and widely believed to have won that controversial election of June 1993,but care must be taken in order not to create another scenario of June 12.It would sound good to remember him for all the good things he did to humanity including his dogged stance for democracy and the actualisation of the June 12 mandate.But on a cursory look,he was never named the winner of that election nor was it in any record attested to, apart from the fragmentations of some incomprehensive document.As I simply put it above,ours is a country of so many painful memories,and as a result, so many had been hurt,opportunities qaushed and the process continues as business as usual.Abiola should be immortalised.That’s fine,but leave June 12 alone.If the botched election is revisited and mandate actualised posthumously, what then becomes of other people of similar fate,tragedy and of lesser luck? In the course of our chequered history as a nation, lots of people have sacrificed their life for our freedom,liberation,justice,democracy et al.We had people like Dele Giwa, Saro Wiwa,Bola Ige,Alfred Rewane,toppled govt of Shehu Shagari/Alex Ekwueme,just to mention but a few.Many of them lost their lives in the same struggle and deserve similar recognitions.
We can immortalise Abiola (based on his contribution to the national growth and martyrdom) without visiting June 12.
We should realise that a government was in power and things were done according to the norms of the time.
The military committed so many atrocities that if we begin to go into them for the purpose of reversing decisions and actions, we shall never get out of the vicious circle.
Abiola’s case can be likened to a coup against a constituted authority, which also happened to Alh. Shehu Shagari. Shall we then return Shagari to complete his tenure? There were many democratically elected governors who were deposed in like manner.
For good reason YES, many of us have become cynical about what politics can achieve in Nigeria.Talking about immotalising Chief M.K.O. Abiola, this will be great, but secondary at this point,If we do realise that without M.K.O. Abiola,s self sacrifices what we have today in form of democracy will have been a shadow, without his death many that do not merit been where they are today would not be underminning the great victory we got today by the shed blood of these great Nationalist, choosing rather to die than to sponsor war and destruction. And as many Nigerians have turned away from trusting Nigerian leaders and their promises, though they claim a change of power but their lies remain the same, we know all too well what’s filled the void.
It’s the lobbyists and influence-peddlers with the cash and the connections — the ones who turned government into a game only they can afford to play around their circle.
They write the checks and we all get stuck with the bills, paying for it in so many different ways, socially, economically, politically, etc.
They think they own this government. But today, we’re here to tell them it’s not for sale. A statement that is open secret in Nigerian politics and situations.So far, am inviting you and, over 250 ethnics of Nigeria people to step up to own a piece of this campaign and prove them wrong .But the special interests and Aso rock insiders believe that they can still use their power and influence to control politics as always. They do not understand the power of the Nigerian people’s will to change if they so choose to. They do not understand that when ordinary people come together, they can do extraordinary things. They believe that hope is a fleeting feeling, and that people like you are a temporary bump in the long road of government of, by and for the privileged few, reason why they will call me a dreamer. They are literally banking on it. Will you join us before you wish you did, before morning sunrise and show that we are a movement serious about CHANGE come 2011? you can join and support now, you can rejoice you are part of this change that will give life and equality to all Nigerians come 2011. It’s not going to be easy changing our politics.
We’re divided into sectional interest groups, counted as merchandise bided for, by the political juggernauts of this country since 1960 till now, and told to always point the finger at somebody else — the other party, or the militants, OPEC, the oppositions. Whatever.
People tell me I haven’t spent a lot of time learning the ways of Nigeria and Nigerian politics, their capability, their mafiarism, their manipulations, and their cliche. But I promise you this — I’ve been there long enough to know that the ways of Nigeria leadership and politics must change.
I’m running for President because the time for the can’t-do, won’t- do, won’t-even-try style of politics is over. It’s time to turn the page, its time for they shepherd to defend and feed the sheep’s.
The people can count in politics once again. Now is the time for you to make it happen — be counted and Start by email: pstmoses2003@yahoo.co.uk,yinkabello@gmail.com, pstmoses2008@gmail.com, or ifyarangogroup@yahoo.com. Group: pstmosesebelenigeria2011@googlegroups.com
Group home page: http://groups.google.com/group/pstmosesebelenigeria2011
* Group email address pstmosesebelenigeria2011@googlegroups.com
http://www.nigeriansocialnetwork.com/xn/detail/2190985:BlogPost:57811
Tell us you are ready for this CHANGE.
There is an awakening taking place in Nigeria today. We can see crowds we’ve never seen before; we can see people showing up to the very first political event of their lives, that guarantees hope of a life time.
You will be coming because you know we are at a crossroads right now. Because we are facing a set of challenges we haven’t seen in a generation — OPC, BAKASSI, Niger delta Militants, Religious crisis, etc and if we don’t match-up these challenges, we could end up leaving our children a world that’s a little poorer and a little meaner than we it is now.
I tell you that Nigerian people are hungry for a different kind of politics — the kind of politics based on the idea that we are all connected as one people, that we all have a stake in one another.
I learned years ago that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it. Like Williams Wallace changed the politics of Scotland.
You and I, right now, can make that happen.
Thank you.
I know the evil genius will be countering this move by now through his evil men in the national assembly. Now we will know whether this National Assembly is truly an assembly of credible nigerians that can be courageous to do this onerous task or it is an assembly of evil men as some Men of God described them sometimes ago. MKO is the author of this democracy they (assembly) are enjoying today, why i said ‘they’ is that they are the ones enjoying the looting and sharing of lagesse of our national cake!!!!
Immortalising Abiola is good but revisiting June 12 is uncall for and its like opening up an old wound. There was a court order restraining the June 12 presidential elections, so the election was illegal. Let the National Assembly set up an investigative Panel to determine the truth about June 12 Presidential elections cos its not the constitutional duties of National Assembly to publish election results.
Here is a chance to know if the house is full of idiots and opportunists who are less dispose to the truth.
nice one but my fear, is if and only if the power that be will allow this bill to pass through