THIRTEEN years after the annulment of the June 12 presidential election, a new document has surfaced revealing the names of those who helped to scuttle the June 12 election, while additionally clarifying that the winner of the polls, Chief MKO Abiola, knew that military dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, would never hand over power to a democratically elected president. Among the traitors are: Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Sule Lamido, Adamu Ciroma, P.D Cole, Tony Anenih, Augustus Aikhomu, Joshua Dogonyaro, David Mark and Hammed Kusamotu.AGAINSTBABANGIDA.COM HONORS ALL THOSE WHO SACRIFICED FOR JUNE12
The document reveals how Babangida was literally helped in his schemings by prominent Nigerians, who signed away the historic mandate of the people. This original document in the possesion of The Guardian.
The 13-year-old document shows that most of the signatories are still very influential in Nigeria's politics, even in the present dispensation that is set to midwife another landmark election.
Abiola's media spokesperson and confidant, Mr. Fred Eno disclosed the Babangida plot for an endless transition programme in an exclusive interview with The Guardian last Thursday while recalling the events that led to the cancellation of the freest and fairest elections ever in Nigeria.
Eno said that Abiola's impression about Babangida's attitude to the military's long-winding transition programme was formed on the very day (night) the businessman decided to vie for the presidency and informed Babangida accordingly.
It was on January 9, 1993 and Eno recalled what Abiola told him after he (Abiola) had met with Babangida at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. "This is the decision I have taken and I want your blessings," Abiola reportedly told Babangida.
Said Eno: "Moshood Abiola said he asked Babangida pointedly: 'Are you going to leave?' He said he told Babangida that: 'If I commit myself and my resources to this thing, are you going to leave?'"
But all Abiola got from Babangida, according to Eno, was that same answer of "Bashorun, you have my blessing."
Eno said: "He (Abiola) ran that campaign from that date (January 9, 1993) until the day of his arrest (on June 24, 1994.) And after he was arrested, he was still fighting that battle with his wife, Kudirat and others."
And true to his hunches, Babangida never handed over power to Abiola, who won the election. Abiola died in detention in 1998 in the course of struggling to actualise his mandate.
Meanwhile, the "June 12" document shows the identity of the original G-34 members that signed away the 1993 presidential election victory.
Then, as one event led to the other, the largely divided nation was told that a "Tripartite Committee" comprising members of the military junta and the two political parties - the SDP and the NRC - had compromised and agreed to form an Interim National Government (ING).
A business tycoon, Chief Ernest Shonekan from Chief Abiola's hometown, Abeokuta, would later lead the ING.
When the Obasanjo administration was inaugurated in May 1999, six of the G-34 joined the government as Ministers, Special Advisers and Panel Members. They included Alhaji Sule Lamido, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, Mr. P.D Cole, Alhaji Abba Murtala Mohammed, General Mohammed Gusau and Chief Tony Anenih.
However, all the six senior military officers that signed the document had been retired from the military service. They included Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, Lt. Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, Brig.-General John Shagaya, Brig.- General Anthony Ukpo and Brig.-General David Mark.
A number of others had died, including Major- General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Dr. Hammed Kusamotu, Alhaji Abdulrahman Okene and Mr. Amos Idakula, who was SDP's national publicity secretary.
Two of the "peace makers" have so far been elected into the National Assembly. Chief Jim Nwobodo and Brig.-General David Mark were elected in 1999 as senators. But only is still there.
In the interim, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ikuforiji Adeyemi yesterday urged the Federal Government to have a rethink on June 12 and immortalise MKO Abiola by naming a national monument after him and make June 12 Democracy Day.
Lagos State government at the weekend announced it has set tomorrow aside as a public holiday for all residents and citizens of Lagos State.
State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dele Alake said the state dedicated the day to the memory of the matyrs who died in the struggle to revalidate the June 12, 1993 election at which Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the presidential election.
"It is ...impracticable and ahistorical to attempt to write the history of the current Republic and Constitutional democracy without alloting chapters to the matyrs of the struggle for the revalidation of the June 12 election such as the winner, MKO Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Pa Alfred Rewane, Ken Saro-Wiwa and many others who perished in the democracy marches at the hands of the gun totting agents of the State," Alake said.
Lagos Speaker, Adeyemi explained that June 12 was the day that Nigerians set aside their differences - religion and ethnic- and came together to say 'yes' to a common future that assured unity, progress and peace.
"We, real democrats know that the real Democracy Day is June 12. The day Nigerians from all walks of life, nooks and crannies of this country came together and buried their differences and decided that Nigeria must be a democratic, united nation."
The Speaker enjoined Nigerians to be vigilant by getting registered and vote according to their conscience in 2007.
The chief whip of the House, Funmilayo Tejuoso also appealed to the government to immortalise Abiola.
"I believe the Federal Government has not done much for MKO Abiola, who paid the highest price with his life," she noted. "The Federal Government should look at it in the light that this man has paid the price that we are now enjoying."
