FEW will allow others to write history against them and maintain silence, especially where they have a chance to represent issues in ways that will portray their fondness and sacrifices for humanity.

Senate President, David Bonaventure Achelenu Mark is having a tough time convincing Nigerians about his democratic credentials. It has less to do with his military background than with where Mark stood on the heady issue of June 12, 18 years ago.

Nigerians voted in an election they considered free and fair. Moshood Abiola won — but the authorities refused to announce the result. The military annulled the election.

Abiola died in jail 13 years ago, battling to regain the mandate. Ever since, those who appropriated the rights to June 12, as a symbol of the struggle against military rule and dedication to democratic politics, make a song and dance of their involvement in it.

Mark was already a brigadier during the heat of June 12. His roles are enveloped in parts that cast him as a victim, when he tells his own story and as a victor when those opposed to him want to state how undeserving he is to lead the Senate.

It appears to worry Mark, which in itself is a wonder. Why should he not be proud of his role in June 12? He has great cause to worry. The things that still haunt him are his military background and a certain haughtiness that made him, as Minister of Communication, think Nigerians were too wretched to aspire to the benefits of telecommunication when they asked for telephones that worked.

Mark says he was a victim too. He lost his military career because he supported June 12 and he had to flee to exile to save his life. Nobody, except Mark, holds these positions. It does not mean that the Senate President is wrong.

Nigerians could hate him so much and could be jealous of his successes. We are famous for our right to reject the truth, no matter how it is told and who tells it.

It, however, seems that people return to this issue about the time of electing the Senate President and Mark’s interest in it since 2007. “I don’t understand the problem people have with me and June 12, but I have said it 101 times that I was not a party to the annulment of June 12. When it happened, I did in fact condemn it and said it was not the best for the country.

What worries me is that nobody ever bothers to check whether what I said is true or false, except that they stick to the fact that I was party to the annulment of June 12. They paint all sorts of terrible pictures,” Mark said in July 2007 interview.

Many Nigerians do not care about June 12. More than 100 million Nigerians (those below 30 years today) may not be aware of the issues. Majority of Nigerians are worried about the quality of leadership Mark provided in the last Senate, where there were no meaningful bills to improve the lives of Nigerians. He has been in the Senate since 1999.

Attacks on him are also about him providing better leadership than he did as Minister of Communications.