June 12 is here again...there are holier than thou fanatics who will gear up their games...but those who were abased at the terrain of politicking will often chose to pay their homage and sound muted clarion calls as watchdogs... NO TEARS FOR ABIOLA by Frisky Larr The sun neither rises in the north nor does it ever set in the south. The solar system has its own set of rules . No one plants an apple tree and reaps cherry fruits in harvest time. Nature s own dynamics runs in ordered consistence . Therefore , what the night holds is usually what the day sets to achieve . Thoughts that would have reshaped the entire biography of the man Moshood Abiola had they been made to serve as the paramount credo of his political dealings . Before embarking on this dangerous analogy , I will like to point out that repeated references these days to the annulment of the June 12th 1993 elections that would have seen the installation of Moshood Abiola as President of Nigeria in the condemnation of Babangida underscores the relevance of this issue at this point in time. The project of analyzing the man Abiola is one that is fraught with challenges and the risk of encroaching on, albeit usurping , the emotional territories of many political observers alike . Given a place in political analysis , it is an open secret that emotions always have their own dynamics of setting facts and logical reasoning aside . It is therefore , regrettable if extraneous emotions are perceived as violated in the process of this discourse . Without pretending to be a sage in the observation of the Nigerian political scene however , it may be pertinent to highlight the extremely personal and, therefore , limited nature of my observations . The M. K. O. Abiola that I know shot to the limelight of political activities round about 1979 in the wake of political activities to determine a successor for the Murtala /Obasanjo junta. Indeed , I was only a teenager at the time and my mind was yet unpolluted in terms of ideological leanings . The intellect was set on the path of growth and future direction was to be shaped by whatever the prevailing system that fed my brain in ethical, moral and intellectual conduct . In other words , such names as Akintola , Awolowo , Azikiwe , Sarduana of Sokoto , Herbert Marcaulay etc. who played active roles in pre-independence and perhaps also in the early post-independence years , were nothing more than just names to me. I heard a lot about their importance but never knew what they represented in their individual capacities . advertisement So, when suddenly , names like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe emerged in the flurry of political activities that greeted the lifting of the ban on political parties by Obasanjo , I had a first -hand opportunity of getting to know a few prominent characters all on my own. I soon found out that the man Obafemi Awolowo did a sound homework preparing for the ultimate lifting of the said ban on political activities. The organization of his party the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the ideological framework which was largely left -leaning , the lieutenants with which he surrounded himself etc. were a resounding evidence of cohesion and a streamlined coordination of a group s identity . His four cardinal program Free Education at all levels , Free medical Services, Integrated Rural Development and Gainful Employment bore the hallmarks of the equitable distribution of wealth and the re- organization of infrastructures . Nigeria was not known to be wanting at the time in terms of finances . The discovery of oil and the crisis it meant to European and American states translated into high proceeds for Nigeria s finances . Nigeria had money . Quite interestingly , lessons in Economics were beginning to take hold of my perception . I was reading that conservative (right -leaning ) ideologies were regarded as more suitable to the healing of ailing economies because the right - wing does not care much for public welfare and is as such, less involved in public spending . On the contrary , left -wingers were deemed more suited for the handling of a robust economy because they traditionally hold the program for social welfare and the distribution of wealth . In short , conservatives generate capital and the socialists disburse capital . That was the simplified version that permeated my mind at the time. So, not caring much for the ethnic divide that seemed to have characterized the existing political parties , I sought to understand what the parties had to offer in terms of program . In addition to the Unity Party of Nigeria , the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was most prominent . Its tendency was elitist and right wing . Its most popular slogan was Qualitative Education not Free and the Green Revolution . In fact, the Green Revolution had a long -term objective of making Nigeria self -sufficient in agriculture . In sharp contrast to the UPN though , the NPN - in my views - is comparable to the PDP of today in its formation . It had no single person that could be seen as its long -term architect . It showed no traces of a party that had long been planned in expectation of the lifting of the ban. It was systematically organized with lots of eminent personalities . The Nigerian People s Party (NPP), which was most tribal -oriented like the UPN, served the Ibo base. In fact if anything , the NPP far surpassed the NPN in its resemblance of today s PDP in terms of formation . The flag - bearer of the NPP Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was desperately begged to take back his words on withdrawing from politics to lead the party . This is even more similar to the positioning of Obasanjo (who though , was not begged ) at the peak of the PDP. What all the other parties had in common in contrast to the UPN was that they lacked programmatic ideological cohesion . They were sustained by tribal affiliations . The UPN had both. The UPN then, was predominantly Yoruba -based. Its ideology centered on Awolowo s preliminary homework . Everyone in positions of importance identified with the ideology . Then came the lust for power . The right -wing tendency of the NPN was even underscored by the number of (vocal and silent ) millionaires it had in its ranks . Most prominent and vocal was Moshood Abiola . As a Yoruba , one would have naturally expected him to tow the Awolowo line in his choice of party . Not only did their ideological leaning obviously differ , there however , seemed to have been no place for Abiola in the UPN to advance his political ambitions . Given the array of candidates presented to the nation (Shehu Shagari for the NPN, Obafemi Awolowo for the UPN, Nnamdi Azikiwe for the NPP, Aminu Kano for the PRP - People s Redemption Party , largely Kano -based and one other flag -bearer for the GNPP - Great Nigeria People s Party , also north -based) many observers agreed and rated Shehu Shagari as an intellectual lightweight in the political arena. Aminu Kano of the PRP and the flag -bearer for the GNPP indeed , stood no realistic chance of winning the game. The real battle was between the UPN and the NPN. Given heightened tension between the Ibos and the Yorubas , it came as no surprise that neither Azikiwe nor Awolowo would pave way for each other. They both ended up as spoilers to their own interests and left the country at the mercy of the strong northern base and military sympathy of the NPN. The only formula that didn t fit much into this equation, however , was Moshood Abiola . A Yoruba who personally knew the gravity of tribal influences in Nigerian politics , Abiola decided to team up with the north -dominated NPN shrugging aside the obvious traits of intellectual deficiency , viable party program and the long -term development of the fatherland . Apparently the quality of being a Muslim and the dream of getting nominated as NPNs presidential candidate for the four-year term following the first , made Abiola believe he was better off finding a home in the NPN. The truth in my perception is that Awolowo had a party and a program . Shagari was elected to represent a party . He had no program of his own except the party program . Azikiwe even had no party . He was virtually begged to join a party and lead it. On the other hand, program and party was a matter of personal conviction and heart-felt commitment for Obafemi Awolowo . Observers agreed that he was poised to unleash an agenda , which implementation would have been easy for him to oversee as every follower (e.g. Tai Solarin ) was also an ardent believer in his objectives . I held the view in my teenage years that Awolowo stood out for a vivid project named uplifting Nigeria . Many disagree with this assessment partly for sentimental dislike of Awolowo , tribal call of duty and far less on the basis of factual and intellectual observations . In fact, months after Shagari s lieutenants looted Nigeria s treasury and drained the foreign reserves , Awolowo was first to cry foul calling on Shagari to tell the nation the true story of the plague that was hitting the Nigeria s economy . Shagari initially denied anything wrong with the economy until we all stood on the verge of seeing the report to be released by a world financial institution (IMF or the World Bank) on the true state of Nigeria s economy . Shagari finally came out and grudgingly too, to admit what Awolowo had been echoing over several months . In the case of Abiola , personal ambition and probably personal animosities meant a diversion from facts and objective analysis . The NPNs internal regulation provided for the zoning system . Each political zone was to be entitled to only a four-year term as presidential candidate . In the analysis , Shagari was to serve only one four-year term. Thereafter , Abiola would have stood a brilliant chance of succeeding him for the next four-year term. Full of high hopes , Abiola founded the Concord Group of Newspapers to counter Awolowo s well prepared leap into the political playground with his Tribune newspaper . Indeed , Abiola seemed to have been so badly carried away in his dining with the devil that he chose to unleash a ferocious attack on Awolowo that went far below the belt . The credo being the destruction of the myth Awolowo . The dirty face of politics was indeed represented by the battle of the Concord and Tribune newspapers . Abiola spent a huge amount of money on NPN in the hope that he may end up as a presidential candidate of the following term. Money , which would have done him much service, spent on philanthropy . However , the day of reckoning came and Shagari amended the rules to allow him a second term. Abiola was left in the dark and in emptiness . Rumors also did their rounds on how Abiola earned his millions . Though unproven till date , he was said to have played a fast one on ITT to defraud them of a huge sum of capital . These rumors did spread like wildfire . Abiola was not held in high esteem during the second Republic . His fallout with Fela Kuti culminating in Give me shit I give you shit should be fresh in everybody s memory that experienced those days of political bickering . In the rapid deterioration into decadence that followed the Babangida days , Nigeria had lost almost all political heavyweights of intellectual substance . Azikiwe was no longer there and Awolowo too. Idiagbon had been driven into oblivion and the light at the end of the tunnel could only fall on Abiola . Here, time seemed to have healed the wound he inflicted on the stature of Nigeria by helping install the NPN and Shagari . The truth is that anyone that represented anything different from the accustomed northern oligarchy and the absolute decadent filth that is reminiscent of Babangida and all that followed his reign was sufficient for Nigerians . Last minute attempts to remedy his own image by embarking on philanthropic activities seemed to have lured people away from deeply scrutinizing Abiola s credentials . Or probably the absence of a more credible alternative did the trick for him. Else , in an equitable field of balanced competition there is hardly any place in my reckoning , for an Abiola s victory in any Nigerian election without the decadence perpetrated by Babangida and his cohorts . While the Yorubas were ready to forgive Obasanjo for turning his back on Awolowo in the legal battle that ensued in the aftermath of the 1980 elections , Abiola s case was one of an independent dynamic . Obasanjo was known in his days as the stooge of the northern oligarchy . Sharper tongues even contend that the real rulers of the Obasanjo days were the Yara Duas and the Danjumas ! Even though no one would have been able to stop the north -driven military government of Obasanjo from handing over power to the north in the person of Shagari , the view was largely held that Abiola should not have been involved in enhancing this process . Intellectually , Abiola was an average Nigerian who happened to have been rich and in a position of influence . His calling was based on the philosophy of anything goes! What matters most was his personal aspiration . He sought to have a sun that would rise in the north and set in the south. Little did he know that the northern mafia is a collection of skillful dribblers for whom his stature did not stand a chance in spite of his millions . Indeed , the annulment of the June 12th elections by Maradona was Abiola reaping in the evening what he had sown in the morning . Babangida , on his own will also pay for his evils , which include that annulment in disregard for the people s choice. But in hindsight , it is difficult to avoid observing how the dynamics of nature can play out on individuals in reminiscence of the karmic justice. I do not shed my tears for Abiola s misfortune on the electoral field ! May his soul rest in peace! Annulment was payment for Abiola ’s evil deeds – Sen Owie Former member of the House of Representatives , former Senate Chief Whip and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party , PDP, Rowland Stephen Owie says the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was a divine recompense for Abiola ’s alleged past political misdeeds . What is your perspective on the June 12, 1993 election ? When people talk about June 12, June 12; June 12 has no meaning . June 12 is the repayment of evil for MKO Abiola . Whatever you sow, you reap . I said about four years ago that if Abiola had been president he would have been dead . You think so? Yes, let me tell you. Before anyone can say that the annulment was evil they should answer four questions . Number one, who was that politician that brought what was called the Maroko land deal to limelight ? Who was that politician who used the Maroko land deal as an albatross on the neck of Chief Obafemi Awolowo ? Who is that Nigerian or group of Nigerians who went to Obasanjo and connived with him and removed the Electoral College act from the decree of 1978? Who is that politician or group of politicians that aided the military to take over the government of President Shehu Shagari in 1983 after the NPN convention ? Who is that politician ? Who is that politician that aided the military in disqualifying all the major candidates of SDP and NRC ? I say if they can answer it and the answer is negative for MKO Abiola , then the annulment of June 12 is evil. But if the answer is yes and it’s MKO Abiola , the annulment of June 12 was the best thing that happened because you can’t plant mango and reap yam. In 1979 I was in the UPN as a member of the House of Representatives and there was a provision in the transition decree of 1978/79 which made provision for Electoral College if the presidential election became inconclusive , and it really was inconclusive , because Shagari did not get two-third of the 19 states. So, we were preparing for Electoral College . NPP, GNPP, PRP and UPN we had majority in the National Assembly which constituted the Electoral College . The late Mallam Aminu Kano of PRP, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP, Nnamdi Azikiwe of NPP and Awolowo of UPN had met and we had all met. But three days to the Electoral College Obasanjo removed the clause on Electoral College ; he removed the goal post within the run of play . Sen. Owie The Electoral College was removed after the election when we were getting ready for it and that was why Awolowo had no other option and he had to go to court and the judgment gave rise to the issue of 12 2/3! A human being cannot be half , he is either full or… and that is why Justice Sowemimo said that that judgment cannot be quoted in future. Abiola and Obasanjo were involved as Egbas to remove that clause . Concord brought the headline “Maroko land : Awolowo where is your sincerity ”. We were in Minna when it was published . Look it deflated the old man, it scattered him, in fact, he was no longer himself and he started battling how to explain . Now NPN went for their national convention in Kano and Umaru Dikko , he is alive , he said the presidential candidate of the NPN is not for sale . MKO Abiola wanted the presidential ticket he didn ’t get it and he then came and aligned with the military people who now came in. And IBB came and set up two political parties , Shehu Yar‘adua , Adamu Ciroma and other major contenders in SDP and NRC , overnight the military disqualified all of them, aided and abetted by MKO Abiola . Because if Yar‘adua were (involved ) there was no way MKO would have won. He was not even in contention until the disqualification of these major contenders . That is why I said that June 12 was a repayment for evil that was done against other people . But how do you see the June 12 election in terms of electoral conduct and fairness ? The June 12 election because it was an open ballot and had only two parties which cut across tribal lines was one of the fairest elections ever held in this country . June 12 showed what a good government can do in an election . If IBB and Aikhomu wanted to tamper with the election , they could have tampered with the election , but they didn ’t. It was a free and fair election but what I am telling you is that the annulment that came later was the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob . What do you mean? What happened was a repayment for evil. But was that justified on the nation? Yes! What I am saying is that it was God’s own work, it was God’s own work. For Abiola ’s alleged sin of… All the sins! But did that justify the derailment of the collective hope of Nigerians ? What is the collective hope of Nigerians ? Democracy Was the Buhari coup against Shagari justified ? Was that the collective will of Nigerians ? That is debatable because many Nigerians welcomed the coup just as majority of Nigerians were against the annulment of June 12. It is because you are a pressman . Do you know how many people in my village that were not interested and were happy with the annulment , even though some of us were not happy . You, were you happy with the annulment ? The annulment served Abiola right , quote me! You cannot be destroying other people and expect to have victory . There is a parable that all those who destroy other people will end up having destruction at the hour of their victory . MKO should not have expected anything less . Tell me, was it justified for Shehu Musa Yar‘adua and Falae in the SDP to be disqualified ? What did they do ? Was it justified for Adamu Ciroma and co in the NRC to be disqualified ? What did they do ? They were all disqualified in both parties so that MKO Abiola who was a friend of the military could emerge as the strongest candidate . It was no secret that he paraded himself as a friend of the military . That man could not have expected to become president of Nigeria when he had ruined many people . The truth is that God does not come down to do some of these things Himself . He uses human beings as instruments and that is why when a man is looking for elective or appointive position , maybe as LGA chairman , governor , minister or president , he is looking for an aspect of the divinity of God. It is out of that divinity that the man in charge of affairs takes , compassion , service to the people , ability to manage everybody , forgiveness . Unfortunately , the moment you get that position and you do not utilise it, not generally , just some part of it…if you watch when Christ cured the ten lepers only one came back to say thank you, but he said where are the other nine? And if you read Hipppolytus he said that as soon as Christ asked where are the nine that the leprosy returned to the nine and they died of leprosy .
Posted on: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 05:44:12 +0000
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