This is the sorry story of the massively embarrassing coincidence of the 20th anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, and the move by some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors annulling the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi as its chairman. It is the story of how democracy in Nigeria is determined by the person defining its terms, not on the global gold standard.
A MEETING IN THE VILLA
Date line: FCT, Abuja, Thursday, June 10, 1993. A team from Nigeria’s election management body, the National Electoral Commission, NEC, visited the country’s seat of power. The Commission members needed to brief the Transitional Council about the election that would be holding in less than 48hours. The leadership of that Council included but was not limited to General Ibrahim Babangida, President; Augustus Aikhomu, Vice President; and General Sani Abacha. The Council was the equivalent of today’s Executive Council of the Federation, EXCOF. The Commission members were pointedly asked by a very senior member of that administration what their mission was! The team, led by Professor Humphrey Nwosu, told the gathering that the meeting was with a view to briefing members of the administration of the Commission’s preparations for the June 12 presidential election which was to crown the transition programme of that administration. (Read Tonnie Iredia’s interview).
The response the Commission members got was not only surprising, it was shocking.
That same very senior member of government asked the Commission members if they were sure that any election would hold. This interrogation almost turned into something else but it was thought to be a joke.
But even the previous day, there was a legal tussle going on at an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Bassey Ikpeme (Mrs). On that Wednesday, NEC, through its Director of Legal Services, Bukhari Bello, had been battling to convince Ikpeme that her court lacked jurisdiction to entertain a case brought to it by one Association for Better Nigeria, ABN, led by Senator Arthur Nzeribe and Abimbola Davies. Standing as legal counsel for the ABN was one Philip Umeadi – ABN had sought to mobilise Nigerians against the transition to civil rule programme and was seen by many Nigerians as receiving undeclared support from some key officials of the government of the day; and it had gone to court to seek the stoppage of the June 12 election.
Meanwhile, a Lagos High Court had declared that ABN was not properly registered as explained by Femi Falana who represented the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, in an earlier case.
Another court had tried to stop an election before in 1991 regarding the Delta State NRC gubernatorial candidacy tussle between Chief Eric Opia and Chief Omamuli. Then Vice President, Augustus Aikhomu, intervened and declared that “No court can stop the election”. The election held and Opia won the guber ticket.
All these were already going on before that meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
Therefore, at 9:35pm that Thursday when Justice Ikpeme issued an order stopping the June 12 election, many Nigerians were taken aback.
Their greatest worry that ABN could injure the transition programme had come to light; but they were in for a bigger shock.
The election still held after the government of the day insisted that it should go on going by the law, the Transition to Civil Rule Decree 19 of 1987 as amended by Decree 52 of 1991 (There was another Decree 23 of 1987 as amended by Decree 8 of 1989).
Mind you, there was an ouster clause in the decree which stipulated that the courts could not interfere or stop NEC in the conduct of its affairs.
Yet, all these did not matter to Justice Ikpeme who gave her judgment under the cover of darkness at 9:35pm.
COURT ORDER IN FAVOUR OF A GHOST BODY
On Tuesday, June 15, while results were still being released, Chief Judge of Abuja, Mohammed Saleh, ordered NEC to stop the announcement while granting request for an exparte motion by ABN’s Abimbola Davies.
The results released at that time showed Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, leading and coasting to victory over Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention, NRC.
Sunday Vanguard discovered that it was actually during the week after the election that ABN pushed for formal, proper registration as a group that could sue and be sued.
It was also discovered that 10days after the judgment by Ikpeme stopping the election from holding, NEC did not get the certified copy of the judgment thereby making an immediate appeal impossible. Ikpeme’s standard response at the time was that the judgment was being typed.
Attempts by Vanguard at that time to get to see her were rebuffed by policemen posted to guard her house.
However, Saleh’s judgment ordering the stoppage of the results’ announcement was made available and handed over to NEC on the same June 15 the judgment was delivered.
Interestingly, the advisory from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Clement Akpamgbo, was that NEC should obey Saleh’s judgment.
But on Sunday, June 20, NEC prepared its appeal to be heard before Court of Appeal, Kaduna, on Monday, June 21.
At the point when it became certain that the Appeal Court sitting in Kaduna would give judgment in favour of NEC regarding the Ikpeme and Saleh judgments, another strange twist was introduced.
On Wednesday, June 23, a terse statement from Aikhomu’s office suspended NEC as well as the entire transition programme.
What that meant was that the mandate Abiola was expecting would no longer come.
On Thursday, June 24, Abiola fired back saying “I can’t surrender my mandate”.
On Friday, June 25, sensing the heightened tension in the country, Babangida met with Field Commanders and Principal Staff Officers of the armed forces.
Former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida
On Saturday, June 26, Babangida addressed Nigerians explaining that there were inherent inconsistencies and manipulation of the process hence the need to suspend the programme of transition.
From that point on, it was one form of confusion after another,
The nation was thrown into turmoil with mass migration across the country because of the fear of a possible breakdown of law and order.
This was the story of an unending transition which terminal date kept shifting from 1990 to 1992, to January 1993 and August 27, 1993. None of this dates turned out to be feasible.
To be honest, the story of June 12 is staggered. Each person involved tells the story from what he or she sees or knows. Some actors stood on June 12, some stood for June 12, while others stood by June 12.
NGF: A PRESIDENT AND HIS GOVERNORS
One of the lessons to be drawn from the events of 20 years ago is the culpability of state governors and party leaders.
The same way state governors of the NRC refused to accept the result of the June 12 presidential election, some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, state governors, inspired by today’s President Goodluck Jonathan, after participating in a voting exercise and losing, declared the loser as their chairman of Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum, NGF.
 |
| *Pro-Jonathan state governors, addressing the media yesterday morning, after presenting their factional chairman. From left, Ibrahim Shema (Katsina); Goodswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); Liyel Imoke (Cross River); Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), factional Vice Chairman; and Jonah Jang (Plateau), factional chairman. |
On the other hand, Rivers State is gradually being made ungovernable for Amaechi with the instrumentality of his party leadership in Abuja, using as arrow head the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who leads another faction of the party. PDP has also suspended Amaechi. The latter has threatened to go to court. And President Jonathan, at the PDP Family Dinner just last Thursday, endorsed the falsehood that was presented to him when he acknowledged Jang as chairman of the NGF.
NGF, NIGERIA AND HER CRISES OF DEMOCRACY
Since independence, Nigeria’s political space has been characterized by pure pettiness, insincerity and a megalomaniacal pursuit of domination either by an individual or a clique. The consequence of a combination of all of these has always led to the overheating of the polity, eventually sounding the death knell of democratic experiments. But for the civil war between 1967 and 1970, the country has always pulled back from the brink, the political cliff.
In the First Republic, the tussle for domination in the Western Region started it all, with the consequential ‘Wild-Wild West’ appellation occasioned by Operation Weti-e (Operation Torch it), Emergency Rule, the military coup and all that crises which led to the war.
In the Second Republic, the power-mongering antics of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, fed by its expansionist tendency in the West, created a fertile ground for instability in the polity, giving the military an excuse to strike on December 31, 1983.
Muhammadu Buhari’s military administration that took over was so insensitive to the ethno-religious balancing of Nigeria such that the first top ten officers of that administration were preponderantly of the Islamic faith.
He was toppled and Babangida stepped in with a promise of a political transition programme. Had he allowed the June 12 presidential elections to stand, he would have become Nigeria’s best president but something snapped and with it that opportunity for personal achievement and group progress. The crises that singular misadventure created lasted till another transition programme in 1998/1999 brought in Olusegun Obasanjo as civilian president.
Again, the bug of personal interest bit Obasanjo such that he attempted to elongate his tenure beyond the constitutionally guaranteed two terms of four years each. He lost and decided to punish every other Nigerian for his loss. He imposed Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as president in 2007, appointed a running mate, Goodluck Jonathan, that he expected to be very slavish. Yar’Adua died, Jonathan took over and decided not to be a loyal party man by upturning his party’s zoning arrangement to which he was privy to.
That is the same thing that Amaechi is being accused of today – that a decision to field another PDP governor for the NGF chairmanship was violated by the Rivers governor. By the same token, a meeting on December 22, 2002, where an enlarged caucus of the party agreed that after the South’s eight years (used up by Obasanjo), the next eight years would be for the North.
The principled position ‘as canvassed by the Jonathan supporters and endorsed by this paper at that time, was simply that the constitution of Nigeria is superior to the PDP zoning arrangement – another fact played out in June, 2011, on the floor of the House of Representatives when members, in defiance of the PDP’s position, voted for Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to become Speaker. It is that same principled position that has informed this paper’s endorsement of Amaechi’s NGF chairmanship, irrespective of any seemingly dubious endorsement by the PDP Governors’ Forum.
Democracy is hinged on the rule of law and a submission to the wish of the majority. Endorsing quasi-brigandage, which is the best way to describe the actions of some state governors, penultimate Friday after losing the NGF election, is no more than standing the principles of democracy and decency on its head.
That was the uncomplimentary end allotted to June 12, 20years ago. That is why it is sad that 20years after, pro-President Jonathan state governors would embark on the same voyage of disruptive engagement leading to the question as to whether rigging is an act of mental disorder. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Wonderful analysis of Nigeria's unending issues. But of democracy will continue to strive. Soja come soja go but barrack remains! This is just a phase,a better phase will come.
ReplyDeleteMKO faught the Gospel of Christ by drawning shipment of Bibles into the high sea.MKO has also sponsored coup d'etat to topple governments. Gods Judgement came upon him and he died like a common criminal in prison. Those who killed by the sword shall die by the sword. I'm not suprised that MKO was denied his mandate because evil that men do live after them. History has shown that all innocent high profile political prisoners world over, usually come out of prison victorious unlike MKO. As for NGF remember that what goes around comes around.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened @ the NGF election is a pointer to the fact that our votes means nothing to these politicians they put whoever they want in position regardless whether the person win election or not.
ReplyDeleteThis is d high time Nigerians should know our Leaders did not have respect for the rule of law,they only do things according to their wish.If Amaechi NGF election could be anul and be suspended; i think the same treatment should be given to Jonathan in 2011 and He should not be allowed to contest in 2015.Let us obey the rule of law.
ReplyDeleteFrom d report one will observe that d hand of GOD is in everything. Truly GOD rule in the affairs of Men.the decision of men will always bow to GOD decision.
ReplyDeleteWhen OBJ was in power he struggled to edit our Constitution for his interest,when GEJ came in political and zonal interest made him go against d party constitution, Rotimi has also decided to go against the wish of his people and zone for his own interest not for his people or Nigerians.
Politicians are not saint's those calling for GEJ removal should ask their self whose interest are we calling for ?? After killing over 5,000 Nigerians with their political pattern (BH) are we going to support them now????
It is a shame that a party that called it's self a democratic party does not know the full meaning of it's name hence can't live by example. I petty GEJ for all this mess.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I know for sure, he will not contest the 2015 election.
NGF is self serving body with no thought for the people. In all this where has anyone talked about the betterment of the masses? Wake up people!
ReplyDeleteIn present day of Technology do we still need this a cake voting processes that allow for cheating and pursuit of domination either by an individual or a clique. Abdulrahim K. A.
ReplyDeleteThe bad and wicked rulers will never go free. GOD is the supreme MASTER.
ReplyDelete