Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election widely acclaimed the freest and fairest election in the country. Many believed the election to have been won by the candidate of the Socialist Democratic Party, Chief M.K.O Abiola.
Nigerian Bulletin brings to you 10 things that may have happened if Abiola became president.
1. Bloody Military coup
A powerful hard line faction in the military bitterly opposed his candidacy. Babangida later said that had Abiola become President, he would have been overthrown in a violent military coup within six months. The then Director-General of military intelligence Brigadier Halilu Akilu was quoted as saying that “Abiola will be President over my dead body”. Other officers in the regime such as General Sani Abacha and Brigadier David Mark (former Senate President) promised to overthrow or even kill Abiola if he became President. With such opposition to him in the army, an Abiola presidency would almost certainly have led to new round of bloody coups and counter-coups that would have given the military a pretext to retain power. Nigeria might even have still been under military rule today.
2. Government of welfarism
Having come from a poor background Abiola was extremely generous to the poor and made grandiose charitable donations. These took the form of bulk buys of rice and tinned milk, to constructing new wings in new universities. He also awarded several hundred scholarships from his own personal fortune. Abiola made such gestures country-wide and did not limit them to his own ethnic or geographic group. If he was allowed to ascend the throne, Abiola would have done more in providing social welfare packages for Nigerians.
3. First Lady Tussle
Abiola had many weaknesses which might have proved his undoing had he become President. His first and foremost weakness was for female flesh. His appetite for women was such that a decade after his death, not even his own family is aware of how many wives and children he had. Educated estimates put the number of his wives somewhere between 25 and 40, and children anywhere between 85 and 120. He also had a number of concubines. Such a complicated personal life could have led to debates on who will be his first lady.
4. Corruption
As experienced in the government of Shehu Shagari, a return to civilian rule in 1993 would have led to wide corruption in Nigeria’s political and public sphere. According to reports, Abiola in many ways was part of Nigeria’s corrupt elite and a government led by him would have continued with business and corrupt dealings as usual.
5. Option A4
The Humphrey Nwosu-led National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) introduced the novel Option A4 voting system and the Open ballot system. This allows for more transparency and gives less room for less rigging. Abiola if sworn in would have sustained this system and perhaps enshrine it in the constitution.
6. Obasanjo wouldn’t have become president
The apparent choice of OBJ in 1999 was to appease the west. By their choice of OBJ, the ruling elites in the North wrongly perceived that annulment as a wrong done to the Yorubas and not to the generality of Nigerians.
7. Tolerance
June 12 1993 was the day Nigerians showcased to the world that they are united irrespective of religion, ethnic and tribal differences. It beamed to the world that in the midst of religious bigotry and media hype on Christian/Muslim tension, two Muslems, Abiola and Kingibe, ran under the SDP tickets with little or no squeamish. A rule by Abiola would have further strengthened the unity and perhaps prevent such crises we experience today; Boko Haram, Niger-Delta Militancy, herdsmen attack.
8. Issue-based and not party elections
Nigerians in 1993 focussed critically on the manifestoes and promises of Abiola and the SDP; they fixed their gaze on his ideological shift and pinned their hopes longingly on his powerful message of "GOOD BYE TO POVERTY". Above all, they finally sent a message across to their oppressors by overwhelmingly voting for him. Many northerners,despite the option of their kinsman Tofa opted to support Abiola. Choice in Nigerian elections today are been ruled by party loyalty, this would have been improved upon if the 1993 election was allowed to stay.
9. 23 years of uninterrupted democracy
One of the key ingredients of a virile democracy is free and fair election. Nigeria, today will have a better democracy if the fairest election in the country was allowed to stay. 23 year of uninterrupted democracy would have brought political maturity and more development to the country. Foremost Nigerian Lawyer and activist, Femi Falana has this to say when asked if Nigeria would have been better than its current state if the late Chief MKO Abiola had been allowed to be president in 1993. “For sure, the ‘June 12’ crisis would have been averted. By now, we would have largely consolidated the fragile democratic process. We would have been celebrating 23 years of uninterrupted civil rule. M.K.O Abiola’s programme of ‘Welfare of Poverty,’ which was a bold welfare package for the country, would have been implemented in the overall interest of the masses. With his campaign for reparation for slave trade and colonialism in Africa, an Abiola-led government would have been forced to lead Africa to confront imperialism.”
10. Two- Party System
The two party system proved to be a good option for the country. Abiola contested under the umbrella of SDP while Tofa flew the flag of NRC. The two parties were based on ideology and would have been allowed to stay if Abiola was inaugurated.
Nigerian Bulletin brings to you 10 things that may have happened if Abiola became president.
1. Bloody Military coup
A powerful hard line faction in the military bitterly opposed his candidacy. Babangida later said that had Abiola become President, he would have been overthrown in a violent military coup within six months. The then Director-General of military intelligence Brigadier Halilu Akilu was quoted as saying that “Abiola will be President over my dead body”. Other officers in the regime such as General Sani Abacha and Brigadier David Mark (former Senate President) promised to overthrow or even kill Abiola if he became President. With such opposition to him in the army, an Abiola presidency would almost certainly have led to new round of bloody coups and counter-coups that would have given the military a pretext to retain power. Nigeria might even have still been under military rule today.
2. Government of welfarism
Having come from a poor background Abiola was extremely generous to the poor and made grandiose charitable donations. These took the form of bulk buys of rice and tinned milk, to constructing new wings in new universities. He also awarded several hundred scholarships from his own personal fortune. Abiola made such gestures country-wide and did not limit them to his own ethnic or geographic group. If he was allowed to ascend the throne, Abiola would have done more in providing social welfare packages for Nigerians.
3. First Lady Tussle
Abiola had many weaknesses which might have proved his undoing had he become President. His first and foremost weakness was for female flesh. His appetite for women was such that a decade after his death, not even his own family is aware of how many wives and children he had. Educated estimates put the number of his wives somewhere between 25 and 40, and children anywhere between 85 and 120. He also had a number of concubines. Such a complicated personal life could have led to debates on who will be his first lady.
4. Corruption
As experienced in the government of Shehu Shagari, a return to civilian rule in 1993 would have led to wide corruption in Nigeria’s political and public sphere. According to reports, Abiola in many ways was part of Nigeria’s corrupt elite and a government led by him would have continued with business and corrupt dealings as usual.
5. Option A4
The Humphrey Nwosu-led National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) introduced the novel Option A4 voting system and the Open ballot system. This allows for more transparency and gives less room for less rigging. Abiola if sworn in would have sustained this system and perhaps enshrine it in the constitution.
6. Obasanjo wouldn’t have become president
The apparent choice of OBJ in 1999 was to appease the west. By their choice of OBJ, the ruling elites in the North wrongly perceived that annulment as a wrong done to the Yorubas and not to the generality of Nigerians.
7. Tolerance
June 12 1993 was the day Nigerians showcased to the world that they are united irrespective of religion, ethnic and tribal differences. It beamed to the world that in the midst of religious bigotry and media hype on Christian/Muslim tension, two Muslems, Abiola and Kingibe, ran under the SDP tickets with little or no squeamish. A rule by Abiola would have further strengthened the unity and perhaps prevent such crises we experience today; Boko Haram, Niger-Delta Militancy, herdsmen attack.
8. Issue-based and not party elections
Nigerians in 1993 focussed critically on the manifestoes and promises of Abiola and the SDP; they fixed their gaze on his ideological shift and pinned their hopes longingly on his powerful message of "GOOD BYE TO POVERTY". Above all, they finally sent a message across to their oppressors by overwhelmingly voting for him. Many northerners,despite the option of their kinsman Tofa opted to support Abiola. Choice in Nigerian elections today are been ruled by party loyalty, this would have been improved upon if the 1993 election was allowed to stay.
9. 23 years of uninterrupted democracy
One of the key ingredients of a virile democracy is free and fair election. Nigeria, today will have a better democracy if the fairest election in the country was allowed to stay. 23 year of uninterrupted democracy would have brought political maturity and more development to the country. Foremost Nigerian Lawyer and activist, Femi Falana has this to say when asked if Nigeria would have been better than its current state if the late Chief MKO Abiola had been allowed to be president in 1993. “For sure, the ‘June 12’ crisis would have been averted. By now, we would have largely consolidated the fragile democratic process. We would have been celebrating 23 years of uninterrupted civil rule. M.K.O Abiola’s programme of ‘Welfare of Poverty,’ which was a bold welfare package for the country, would have been implemented in the overall interest of the masses. With his campaign for reparation for slave trade and colonialism in Africa, an Abiola-led government would have been forced to lead Africa to confront imperialism.”
10. Two- Party System
The two party system proved to be a good option for the country. Abiola contested under the umbrella of SDP while Tofa flew the flag of NRC. The two parties were based on ideology and would have been allowed to stay if Abiola was inaugurated.
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