Opinion: Death Of Chief M.K.O Abiola And The Project Nigeria

21 years after June 12 and 16 years after the murder of Chief M.K.O Abiola, Nigeria has moved from bad to a worse situation. Some of the things we imagined that will never happen in a democracy have happened in our own very eyes. Today we are saddled with a quasi democracy where treasury looting, corruption, election rigging, impunity and lawlessness predominate. Whoever never knew what happened in Nigeria prior to June 12 1993 and the advent of democratic rule will walk away with the impression that democracy is all about stealing, impunity and lawlessness as has been demonstrated in the past 15 years by the federal government. The primitive clampdown on the press by agents of the ruling party raises serious concern about the health and quality of the democracy we pretend to be running. The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) election, the sponsoring of destabilizing acts on Governor Amaechi, seizure of his aircraft, the plan to gag public interviews and live programmes on televisions, the general worsening state of human rights abuses point to the fact that Nigeria is not yet a functional democracy.

We are living witnesses of how the full weight of the federal government was deployed to stop APC leaders from travelling to Ekiti State to support Governor Fayemi on the June 21 governorship elections only for the federal government to deploy the same weight to support and encourage the PDP candidate to coast to the so-called victory.

We saw how the Mopol Commander in Ekiti State and Police Commissioner brazenly and dangerously put the life of Governor Fayemi on line by threatening to shoot the Governor in a democracy. Insecurity and the weakness of the country’s compromised security agencies are cause of worry and these are caused by weak, immoral, corrupt, and incompetent government that plays primitive politics even with the lives of people.

When Boko Haram  made inroads into Nigeria, the then National Security Adviser, the Late General Azazi used his exalted and privileged position to discover that Boko Haram is a product of PDP’s infighting and struggle for power. Now what did the powers that be do? They sacked him and eventually the man died under questionable circumstances. PDP left Aziza’s report and started blaming the opposition, APC for Boko Haram’s Insurgency. Today, Boko Haram has only become a monster the greedy power seekers in PDP could not manage, it has gone full circle tearing down the nation and killing thousands of Nigerians.

Today the Police, Army and other security agencies who should be effectively countering Boko Haram insurgents are busy helping PDP to rig elections with reckless abandon. I can go on and on.

Now if the question is whether we have learnt anything since June12 1993, I will simply say that we have learnt nothing. We have not regretted anything, we have not shown no remorse, no compensation, no restitution, no reconciliation, no rehabilitation, no condemnation, no apologies and no self re-examination.

I think that the task of June 12 and the sacrifices Chief M.K.O Abiola made for Nigeria are not ended. Infact, it must be in its peak today with the way and manner the federal government is going.

A government that has been so condemned and ridiculed in the international community for the clueless handling of Nigeria’s Project is not the right government to lead Nigeria at this turn of the century.

We must insist that a government that has brought so much embarrassment to Nigeria must be shown the exit door and 2015 offers us the greatest opportunity to rescue Nigeria. Senator McCain of the United States recently rebuked the world for waiting for a non existing government in Nigeria to rescue the abducted Chibok Girls. If this weighty statement could not embarrass and worry this federal government led by President Jonathan I wonder what else will prick their conscience.

If Chief M.K.O Abiola did not die in vain let all the Nigerian signs up to present cross country effort to ease the PDP out of power for failing Nigeria for fifteen years. The duty we owe the greatest hero of democracy in Nigeria, Chief M.K.O Abiola is to start educating Nigerians and mobilizing them for change. The best way to honour Chief M.K.O Abiola and realize the essence of his maximum sacrifice is to rescue this country from disaster.

The best way to honor Chief Abiola will be to gather next year under a responsive and responsible government freely elected by us to start recovering the years eaten by underserved beneficiaries of Chief Abiola’s huge sacrifices.

If there was no June12, 1993, there would not have been May 29, 1999.  Former President Obasanjo would not have been in power for 8years. Even the current President would not have come near to the exalted office of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Joe igbokwe is the Lagos state publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress.

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