Democracy Day: Lest we forget
Today marks
official democracy Day, paradoxically dictated by Obasanjo led Federal
(but not so-democratic civilian dispensation!). It is a public holiday
that commemorates the restoration of democracy after decades of military
dictatorships. Some states of the Federation legitimately in principle
had opted for June 12, as Democracy Day to keep alive the memory of the
most celebrated pan-Nigerian free and fair election in 1993.
The election was criminally annulled
by the military regime headed by General Ibrahim Babangida. Of course
globally Devil is in the democratic details. In Nigeria one devilish
detail is the question; what Day what time to pause and reflect on the
rights of men and women to freely choose who rule them? However one
thing is clear; before and after May 29 and June 12 every year,
democratic blood runs through the veins of Nigerians desirous of liberty
and development.
Today marks 19 years of uninterrupted
(but certainly ruptured) democracy. What with serial violence and
serial killings! The point cannot be overstated that the concept of
nascent democracy is certainly a misnomer. Democracy is not measurable
by how long but how well the institutions and actors perform. With
almost six presidential elections in which incumbent President Goodluck
Jonathan was electorally retrenched in 2015, Nigeria has come of
democratic age.
With all the imperfect elections and
riotious party primaries and snatching of maces my take is that Nigeria
still remains a Democracy Destination in Africa. With as many as over
73 million voters ready to exercise their democratic right next year,
hundreds of presidential, gubernatorial and assembly candidates, voters’
choice is choice not absence of choice! Certainly Nigeria is not North
Korea where the choice is between Kim and Jong-un!
But lest we forget; celebrating
democracy only reminds us the atrocities, repression, violation of human
rights and abysmal bad governance of the military regimes of varying
hues. Only the short Murtala regime possibly could be given a clean bill
with respect to selflessness and commitment to nation-building.
Recently General Yakubu Gowon claimed that corruption in government
started after him. Haba! Lest we forget Gowon military junta was
overthrown on account of corruption. Indeed Murtala/ Obasanjo inquiries
of Gowon regime showed that 10 out of the 12 military governors were
enmeshed in wholesome mismanagement of public resources.
There was a scandalous congestion in
the Lagos Apapa port “as ships poured in with cement, over-ordered for a
grandiose army barracks and claimed demurrage for each day’s delay”. In
1974, under Gowon regime a scandal rocked the –“ Benue-Plateau, Gowon’s
home region – where Joseph Gomwalk, Military Governor of Benue-Plateau
State in 1966 -75 and Joseph Tarka, Federal Commissioner of
Communications in 1966-74 were implicated. Tarka resigned, but Gowon
failed to discipline Gomwalk, who was a friend” Gowon himself “had a
lavish wedding when marrying his wife Victoria in Lagos in April 1969
with horse-drawn carriages”.
That was at the height of the civil
war in which the country lost as many as 3 million souls, mostly
civilians. The worst policy corruption under Gowon was when he shifted
the 1972 to 1974 and then 1976. He was overthrown in 1975. The point to
remember tomorrow is that despite the current challenges facing
democratic process, democracy is better than the decades of military
rule which actually underdeveloped Nigeria.
Today we take elections for granted
despite their imperfections. But lest we forget on June 23, 1993: IBB
military Government annulled the results of the June 12 elections in a
most bizarre manner; nullified all the relevant court decisions,
suspended National electoral commission (NEC) through an unsigned terse
statement. The seed of theft of public funds started with unaccountable
military regimes. 20 years General Abacha died, Nigeria is still
recovering looted funds posthumously in his name. Lest we forget the
detentions without trial and unraveled killings of varying proportions.
On October 31, 1995: a Special
Military Court sentenced Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists
to death. On November 10, 1995: Provisional Ruling Council (PRC)
confirmed the sentence amidst global outrage and proceeded to hang
Saro-Wiwa and eight others. The Common Wealth Ministerial Action Group
(CMAG) immediately suspended Nigeria from the body. Nigeria only
returned to Commonwealth May 1999 after Nigeria returned to Democracy.
On June 4, 1996: Alhaja Kudirat
Abiola senior wife to the president-elect Moshood Abiola and a fierce
fighter for the validation of his mandate, was murdered by unknown
assassins in Lagos. February 28, 1995, Brigadier Lawan Gwadabe, the
longest serving governor during the Babangida regime, General Obasanjo
(rtd), his former deputy, General Musa Yar’Adua, and others arrested
over an alleged coup plot against the Abacha government. On December 8,
1997, General Shehu Yar Adua was proclaimed dead in prison in Abakaliki
Eboyin state.
Lest we forget that Democracy might
be frustrating with its celebrated and dramitised challenges but
military dictatorship was certainly worse and unacceptable. Never again
should anybody rule Nigeria and Africa without the free mandate of
Africans. Of course Nigeria’s democracy requires quality control in
terms of service delivery, development and poverty eradication, but that
calls for deeper democracy not less. Long live Democracy!
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