By Denrele Animasaun

“Democracy is not something you put away for ten years, and then in the 11th year you wake up and start practicing again. We have to begin to learn to rule ourselves again”-Chinua Achebe

Wednesday 12, June 2013    marks the 20th anniversary of a free and fair election to have ever taken place on Nigerian Soil.  That day, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola was the anticipated winner of the presidential election as figures coming in showed that he was in overall lead in fourteen states. The world was watching and the Nigerian populace was eagerly awaiting a real change to take place in Nigeria.

The Military regime under the command of IBB put an abrupt stop to that and it cited “manipulation of elections” of the primary result by the presidential candidates. International and national election monitors confirmed the contrary that it was the most free and fair election in the country’s history.

Shonekan; Abiola and Babangida

The public outrage was intense and it immediately created mass unrest across the southern part of Nigeria. Of course, Chief MKO Abiola was equally and rightfully indignant that the election was transparent and fair so there was no reason to have annulled the election. He was convinced that common sense would prevail and that in time, he would be handed the mandate. Instead, he was arrested, detained, charged and with treason against the state.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.  – MLK.

The powers that be made him a deal that they thought, he wouldn’t refuse; to accept the annulment and stop stoking the flame that he was robbed of the mandate. As a wronged Egba man, he refused and so he stayed in detention. During that time, his wife, Kudirat, campaigned tirelessly and bravely for the release of her husband and for that, she was assassinated.

MKO Abiola was placed in prison by Sani Abacha, who succeeded Babangida. So, for four years in detention, MKO was resolute and had faith that justice would prevail and he would be vindicated; he believed that Nigeria was worth fighting for and that was what he did to the very end.

He was poisoned a day before he was to have been released. His children lost their father, siblings lost their brother, friends lost a friend and the country, well, we will never know, we weren’t given the chance to.

“They have not always elected the best leaders, particularly after a long period in which they have not used this facility of free election. You tend to lose the habit.”- Chinua Achebe

Democracy, in the true sense, died that day, 20 years ago. Not only was the victor robbed, imprisoned and died but, millions of Nigerians were robbed by the government.

As at present, Nigeria is still living with the dire consequences and enmeshed with crisis worse than it has ever been in the history of the nation. And we do not seem to be about to start. Rather, we are pilling all undemocratic things like; injustice, riggings, assassinations, corruptions and other unsavoury crimes to hold on to power and greed.

What we have, is a veneer in guise of a democracy, all you need to scratch the surface and the rot is deep and in need of restructuring right down to its foundation. Nigeria needs to mend and desperately in need of restorative justice.

And gradually they’re beginning to recognize the fact that there’s nothing more secure than a democratic, accountable, and participatory form of government. But it’s sunk in only theoretically; it has not yet sunk in completely in practical terms. -Wole Soyinka

Very heartening that Nigerians in the Diaspora are demanding that the nation should retrace its political credibility by declaring officially and posthumously that Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola won the much celebrated June 12, 1993, election.

And Lagos State Governor Fashola and the State House of Assembly have maintained that they will commemorate June 12 every year as Democracy Day for Nigeria.

“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.” – Frederick Douglass

So this yearly commemoration of the annulment of the 1993 presidential election should be more than a piece meal, it should be a time to reflect on justice and nationhood. We seem to be far away from being transparent and democratic. The government still doll out positions like they are allocating cement. Nepotistic attitude is de rigeur; in fact, we oil the national machine by it. More so the pity. When are we going to get out of the doldrums and actually ensure and recognise that Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, was wrongfully denied and abysmally treated? About time that MKO, is accorded a long overdue state apology and restitution to his family.

“It takes a jaundiced view of the much-vaunted glorious past of Africa. And I suppose since then I’ve been doing nothing but the dense macabre in this political jungle of ours”- Wole Soyinka

Those in the know, can attest albeit privately, that most of these criminals remain at large without  a shred of remorse and they remain free to go about their pointless lives, still creating terror, civil mayhem in a seemingly, endless greed fest  these power mad leaders.