By Dotun Ibiwoye
Eighteen years after the aborted presidential election acclaimed to be the freest and fairest in Nigeria and won by late politician, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, a prominent member of National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, and a don, Professor Ropo Sekoni, has said  the sacrifice made by Nigerians on June 12, 1993, presidential elections was the foundation for the nation’s democracy .

Sekoni , a professor of Literature in English, Lincoln University,  USA, in a telephone  interview with Vanguard Monday, said the lessons and endurance Nigerians underwent in the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate “made the people to be steadfast and also strengthened our democracy to have come this far.”

In his view, Nigerians decided to vote late Abiola in the election as a demonstration of the unity of the country as well as ensuring that Nigerians were allowed to freely elect their own leaders without any interference from any quarters or politicians.

He noted that, “there is no doubt that what our people learnt from putting their destiny in their own hands was what was demonstrated in the last general elections across the country.”

Sekoni said, “June 12 has to be kept sacred in Nigeria’ history because if not for Abiola’s sacrifice, Nigeria’s democracy would not have come. He actually sacrificed himself for the democracy that we entrenched in 1999. NADECO kept the fight alive even though most of the members were on exile abroad”

“It  will be recalled that the june 12 1993 Presidential election was conducted by ex-president Ibrahim Babangida. That election was the freest and fairest election in Nigeria.

That election was so free that the international community also lauded the election. After he annulled the election, purposely made way for the continuous military administration of government and  late General Sani Abacha came in.