When Nigerians trooped out in their millions sixteen years ago to vote for a president of their choice, little did they know that their patriotic action was going to spark off a crisis that would make the nation lose decades in terms of political development. On that day, under the exciting Option A4 method of voting devised by the Professor Humphrey Nwosu-led National Electoral Commission (NEC), voters lined behind the two candidates, Chief Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP and Alhaji Othman Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC)

SIXTEEN years on, the June 12 1993 presidential election remains an issue with Nigerians. The memory of that election which produced Bashorun Moshood Abiola as winner is a legacy even hardened political enemies of the late businessman turned politician would not contest.

PRO-DEMOCRACY activists in different parts of the country have already lined up various activities to celebrate the 16th anniversary of the June 12 1993 presidential election which was annulled by the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Among groups that would celebrate the day are Centre for Constitutional Governance ( CCG) which will organise a symposium in Lagos to mark the day.

MR Yinka Odumakin is the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG). In this interview with Vanguard, he spoke on the historic June12 elections that was annulled by then Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) and the need for a viable opposition. Excerpts:

Mayor Eze representing Orlu/Osu/Oru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives is one of the leading lights in the lower chamber with a number of bills to show for it.

TODAY, pro-democracy activists and human rights groups congregate once again to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the epic June 12 1993 presidential poll. If it had been upheld, perhaps June 12 would have signposted Nigeria’s journey to popular constitutional democracy.

FASHOLA diagnoses the problems and goes at it like a skilled mechanic. He wants to know what will work and what will not work. He is transforming Lagos State ruthlessly because he is not a politician,” says Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka in his recent comment on the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.

RT. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly is an engaging personality with fresh perspectives on issues that bother on legislature, rule of law and governance. To him the people are central to the building of democracy and their views and opinions must be reflected in how they are governed. In this interview he argued that the Lagos House has been outstanding in representing the interests of Lagosians and believed that Nigerian politics has transcended ethnic divide and is now a battle ground between progressives and conservatives. Excerpts:

It may not be right to declare that there is no opposition politics going on in Nigeria.

THE last ten years of uninterrupted civilian rule have seen the longest stretch of participatory democracy in the country. During this period the country also witnessed what some now regard as the longest running political comedy in the nation’s history.