Those Who Signed-Away June 12, 1993 Victory To Military Government The big Nigerian ‘patriots’ who also signed the remarkable document that nailed the coffin of June 12 result include Alhaji Adamu Ciroma who has served as Finance and Agriculture Minister. In fact, his wife has served as Women Affairs Minister under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. She has been Woman Leader of the ruling PDP and last month, she was appointed Managing Director of the Lokoja-based Nigeria Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA). Chief Tony Anenih who was in 1993 Chairman of the victorious Party, the SDP, served in Obasanjo government in various capacities including Minister of Works and Housing, Chairman of the ruling PDP’s Board of Trustees for the second time and Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for the second time too. The only political actor then who signed the June 12 historic document “with reservations” under a tripartite committee set up to compromise the integrity of the best election in Nigeria’s history was Joe Nwod[/b]o, who has been Chairman of the ruling PDP too. He did not explain in the document the significance of his remark, “with reservations”. The Guardian recalls that in 1993, as the June 12 election crisis worsened on end, a tripartite committee comprising members of the then military regime and the two political parties then, the SDP and the National Republican Convention (NRC) buckled under the weight of pressure, compromised and then agreed to form an Interim National Government (ING) that was headed by a famous businessman [b]Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Chairman of the UAC. Specifically, the first signatory to the evil document was Admiral Augustus Aikhomu who was then Vice President under the then military presidency of Babangida. The second signatory in the document was Shonekan, who was then head of one transitional arrangement in a diarchy headed by Babangida. The third actor to sign was Alhaji Abdulrahman Okene who later became Chairman of Devolution of Powers Committee under the Abacha regime. He signed as the Secretary for Internal Affairs in the Transitional Council then, a precursor to the ING concoction. One other big signatory to the epochal document was Lt. General Joshua Dongoyaro who was then Commandant, Command & Staff College, Jaji. Dongoyaro was later removed as Chief of Defence Staff by Abacha who replaced him with Gen. Oladipo Diya. Other members of the G-34 who signed the popular document included Alhaji Sule Lamido (who actually signed as No 26). He was to become Chairman of NACB under the ING. He was Foreign Affairs Minister in Obasanjo’s government, served as a member of Abacha’s National Constitutional Conference and he is now Governor of Jigawa State after serving as Foreign Affairs Minister under Chief Obasanjo. Chief Tony Anenih was Chairman of SDP at the time of June 12 annulment. It was the victory of the party he led that was negotiated away. He later emerged as Coordinator of a N10 billion worth of Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP), precursor to NAPEP, even as Works and Housing Minister in Obasanjo’s administration (1999-2003). He later emerged as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP. He handed over to Obasanjo as BoT Chairman in 2007. Dr. Patrick Dele Cole who later became Senior Special Assistant (Foreign Affairs) to President Obasanjo signed the document as SDP N0 24. Chief Dapo Sarumi who returned to the PDP in 2010 signed the June 12 obituary paper as N0 32. He served as ING Communications Minister. He was to be Minister of Information, Integration and Cooperation in Africa in Chief Obasanjo’s first term (1999-2003). Alhaji Adamu Ciroma who signed the document as NRC N0 13 served the Abacha regime as Agriculture Minister and served Obasanjo as Finance Minister. One other notable character in the Intelligence and Security community that signed the June 12 Paper 17 years ago was Lt Gen Aliyu Mohammed Gusau who was then the National Security Adviser, (NSA). He signed the document as “Government Representative”. He was Obasanjo’s NSA for about seven years. He returned in 2010 to the Jonathan’s (completion) government as the NSA. Brig.-Gen. Anthony Ukpo signed the document as PMT, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna. He is now a businessman, publisher and hotelier. He had served on some panels in Obasanjo’s government. Some other political figures including members of the federal legislature who signed the document then included Chief Jim Nwobodo who signed for the then SDP. He was to serve later in Abacha’s government as Sports Minister. He was a senator in the first session of the National Assembly (1999-2003). Mark signed the June 12 document in 1993 as an officer at National War College (now National Defence College). He had been an officer of the abandoned property management, had served as Communications Minister and Governor of Niger State under the Babangida junta. Now as Senate President, he enjoys full benefits: His son, Tunde, is his Senior Personal Assistant, his daughter, Blessing Onu (nee Mark) is a two-time, Mandate Secretary (State Commissioner equivalent) Social Development Secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration. Similarly his younger brother was a Special Assistant to a former Minister of Defence. One other notable politician who signed the document as a member of the would-be ruling party then was Maj.-Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who signed the June 12 away as SPD No 34. He was a member of the 1994/95 Constitutional Conference organised by Abacha. The former Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters and a presidential aspirant then later died in Abakaliki prison after being implicated in a phantom coup plot by the Abacha junta. Other members of the political class who signed the June 12 Death Paper included Alhaji Abubakar Rimi who later served the Abacha regime as Communications Minister. He signed as SDP No 30. He died in 2010. Alhaji Olusola Saraki who signed the PDP Platform as N0 31 died in 2012. The father of former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was Chairman of the Business Committee of the Constitutional Conference of Abacha. He later surfaced as a member of All Peoples Party (APP) now ANPP). He was a member of the PDP. His daughter Gbemisola Saraki, was a member of the House from where she contested election in 2007 to be in the Senate. She contested election to be governor of Kwara and lost to the current governor of Kwara State. Notably, former Governor Bukola was a Senior Special Assistant to President Obasanjo before he contested election as governor in 2003. The 10th signatory to the June12-ING Paper was Dr. Hammed Kusamotu who was Chairman of the NRC then. He has died. Similarly, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu who signed as NRC N014 served as Internal Affairs and later as Power and Steel Minister. Same for Chief Tom Ikimi, who was pioneer Chairman of NRC who later became Political Adviser to Gen. Abacha and later served as Foreign Affairs Minister, signed June 12 monument away as NRC N0 15. He is angling to be APC Chairman. According to the landmark document, Chief Joseph Toba signed the G-34 Paper as SDP N0 33. Mr. Okey Nzoho, then NRC Publicity Secretary signed on the NRC Platform as NRC No 21.In the same vein, Dr. Bawa Salka who signed too for the NRC signed on Platform 22. Now Senator John Shagaya signed the document then as GOC 1 Infantry Division, Kaduna. He had been Minister of Internal Affairs. He was a senator in the last session of the Senate but not Chairman of any Committee because he allegedly voted against the Senate presidency of David Mark in 2007. One Mr. Theo Nikire also signed the monumental document just as Professor Eyo Ita signed the G-34 Paper as NRC N0 16. Others who signed away the June 12 success story included Bola Afonja, who signed as NRC 11; Alhaji Y.Anka, NRC 12; Mr. Abba Murtala Mohammed, NRC No 18 and Alhaji Muktari A.Mohammed signed as NRC N0 17. Even traditional rulers were involved in the political deal that still haunts the political class till date as Alhaji A Ramalan, who was Permanent Secretary in FCT and later became an Emir in Nasarawa State signed the document. Same for Alhaji Halilu A.Maina who signed the SDP Platform as N0 27. From the Eastern Block came Dr. Okechukwu Odunze who signed the SDP Platform as No 29. He was the then SDP’s National Treasurer. One FCT indigenous figure who signed the document was one Mr. Amos Idakula (deceased). He signed as SDP N0 25. He was then SDP’s National Publicity Secretary. According to the political document, the original G-34 members had then felt that after signing the Covenant Paper ING would begin on August 27, 1993 and terminate on December 31, 1994. But Abacha who was said to have written his Sandhurst College project on “ambush” was posturing as a defender of democracy and thus conned even notable politicians who urged him to take over from Shonekan as Head of the ING. Abacha thus on November 17, 1993 capitalised on the provisions of Section five (V) sub-section 48 of the ING Decree 61 of 1993 which states: “The most senior minister shall hold the office of the Interim National Government if the office of the Head of the Interim National Government (ING)… becomes vacant by reason of death or resignation” and took over from Shonekan who was then warming up to move into the official residence of the President of Nigeria. Babangida had earlier stepped aside in the early hours of August 26, 1993 following the enablement of the ING concoction by the aforementioned G34 members. In 2008, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu who was shoved aside on June 23, 1993 as Electoral Umpire “summoned up” courage and announced the late Abiola as real “winner” of the 1993 election. The ineffectual announcement was made through the instrumentality of a book . According to the result he announced, the presidential candidate of the defunct SDP, the late Abiola polled a total vote cast of 8,323,305 equivalent of one-third of the total cast in each of the 28 states of the federation, while Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) polled a total vote cast of 6,073,917 scoring at least in one-third of the total vote cast in 23 states of the federation. “Consequently, Alhaji M.K.O. Abiola won the election, but NEC could not announce the result of the election because of the Abuja high court order which was served on the commission on June 15, 1993, which NEC, through its director of legal services challenged at Kaduna Court of Appeal, and then the dissolution of NEC on June 23, 1993.” In an address, Nwosu, a retired political science professor, identified the crux of the problems that face the task of state and nation-building in an emergent state like Nigeria as the problem of legitimacy. He said his main aim of writing the book, apart from putting into their proper perspectives the events that led to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, was also to show how successive administrations in the country, whether military or civilian sought to attract legitimacy or its acceptance from the generality of Nigerians. His words: “This book underscores the importance of June 12, 1999 presidential election which was adjudged by national and international observers as the freest, fairest and most peaceful and credible election in Nigeria’s history.”
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:00:59 +0000
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