BY JAPHET ALAKAM

June 12, 1993 was the day Nigerians from all ethnic divides voted massively for MKO Abiola in what can be described as the freest and fairest election in the country. But unfortunately, the election was annulled by the powers that be led by General  Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd) and the struggle for the re-validation of the mandate led to the death of the acclaimed winner MKO Abiola.

Many authors have written about the incident and will continue to write about it, but one man who played a major role from the process of his emergence as the SDP presidential flag bearer and the struggle for the de annulment of the election was Chief Frank Kokori. Who is Frank Kokori, how did he come into the game, what role did he play, what were the factors that led to death of the struggle , who were the people behind the struggle  and those that sabotaged the whole process. These and other sensitive issues which are not privy to many are what the Delta state born labour leader, Frank Ovie Kokori, who was the Secretary General of NUPENG documented in his latest book titled Frank Kokori: The Struggle for June 12.

The 324 pages book published by Ibadan based Safari Books Ltd can be described as an insiders account of the hidden facts about the thrilling and chilling events before, during and after the election up till his incarceration as well as the aftermath of the politics of intrigues and debilitating experiences.

With foreward by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, the book opens with a list of 82 people the author described as heroes of democracy according to their classes.

Chapter one begins with a question, Kingibe, have you cleared with MKO? here the author narrates how the vice president elect, Babagana Kingibe abandoned his mandate and joined the Abacha train.

The next chapters highlights the reasons why the labour leader who was not a full time politician,  joined politics full time, why MKO Abiola joined the presidential race late and how he eventually emerged as the party’s presidential flag bearer.

In chapter four, the author explains how the fight for June 12 began after the annulment. Here, the author provides a vivid account of the initial response to the annulment, how Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC who was supposed to be the arrow head in the struggle frustrated all efforts because of perceived  animosity by its leader Paschal Bafyau, an action that made the author to spearhead the struggle with his union, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG. How NUPENG led other oil workers on what can be described as the mother of all strikes that shaked the military government and how they called off the strike.

It was not easy to fight a military government especially the person of Abacha, why was Kokori bent on the fight, why did he reject all the ministerial offers and where did it land him, these the author also narrated in the book.

The book also tells many why Abiola missed it. MKO was a great man, has business connections, but he failed to understand the person of Abacha and gave him enough time to consolidate on his government and when he realized that it was too late.

The author also narrates his prison experiences in the various prisons, the worst been at the Bama prisons where he spent most of the time before he was released. How he turned to an avid reader in the prison and the prison poems which he wrote.
The various individuals that assisted his family during his incarceration were commended by the author. According to him, though there were many bad people who were bent on suffering others, there were also some who are good.  When the bread winner of a family is in prison, what is the likely life that will befall the family, in the case of Kokori, despite been in the prison, his wife and children carried on with the struggle and even took it to oversees.

The book also takes a very critical look at what he called post June 12 blues, which was an account of issues that came up after his release from Bama prisons.

As an insider, the author recalls that despite the efforts of NADECO during the struggle, they should have been the ones in control of the present government but their miscalculations caused them the position especially in the south south, it was only in Lagos that they got it right.

The author also highlights some of the things Nigeria lost as a result of the annulment of June 12 and went further to commend some countries and individuals in his roll of honours.

Written in very  simple English for easy, the author has through the book demonstrated his ability to document facts in a very simple  way.

The book Frank Kokori: The Struggle for June 12 provides answers to most of the questions.  The book is a must read for both the old and young especially students of politics and history.