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.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:04:12 +0000
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