June 12 Celebration Moves from the Streets to Presidential Villa, Government Houses

June 12 Celebration Moves from the Streets to Presidential Villa, Government Houses

Some years ago, June 12 was marked on the streets where loudspeakers were carried on bare heads for the crowd to hear what the speakers had to say on the importance of the day and how to actualise it. June 12 is the anniversary date on which Nigeria held the freest and fairest election with

Some years ago, June 12 was marked on the streets where loudspeakers were carried on bare heads for the crowd to hear what the speakers had to say on the importance of the day and how to actualise it. June 12 is the anniversary date on which Nigeria held the freest and fairest election with Chief M.K.O. on his way to victory before its annulment by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.

It therefore became a day to rally all pro-democrats together in celebration of democracy. Most times fear of attack from security agents was palpable on such celebrations. Venues for the celebration were concealed in secrecy and could be changed at the last minute to avoid interference from state agents. It was a day for revolutionary music by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and radical speeches.

Then, it was normal and fashionable to see the likes of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Mr. Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Late Comrade Frank Ovie Kokori (Former National Secretary, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Late Yinka Odumakin, Dr John Kayode Fayemi among others mounting the podium to speak eloquently on what June 12 stood for.

Many politicians rode to power on the crest of their association with Chief Abiola and the June 12 struggles. Successive governments since 1993 have refused to recognise the significance of that Day in Nigeria’s history. It was a Day the rest of the world could not understand what was wrong with Nigeria. June 12 was an anathema to the military governments and their civilian successors. But Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu persistently celebrated that day and declared it a public holiday in Lagos State.

But all that started to change nationally on 6 June 2018 when former President Muhammadu Buhari announced June 12 as the new date on which democracy will be celebrated in the country. For 18 years, 29 May was celebrated as democracy day being the date the military handed over power to the civilians.

On 10 June 2019, the former President signed a bill into law recognising June 12 as Democracy Day and acknowledging the standard bearer of the election, Chief MKO Abiola, whose victory was annulled by Ex-President Ibrahim Babangida as the real symbol of democracy. It was a rare feat influenced by several factors.

The former President also conferred on the late Chief MKO Abiola a Posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), the highest national honour in the land while his running mate, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe was conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

Not done yet, the then President also tendered a national apology for the annulment of the June 12 Presidential election. From 2019, the celebration of the day Nigeria has the fairest, freest and most convincing election ever held since Independence moved from the busy streets where the downtrodden, the extremely poor, the highly intelligent youths and cerebral eggheads have been converging to actualise the historic day to the cosy halls of five-star hotels and auditorium of the State House.

The activists no longer fear police harassment and intimidation while holding rallies now that one of the key promoters of the actualisation of the June 12 Presidential election is now the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

What is left undone for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do on the June 12 issue? The winner of the election had been given the highest national honour, a national apology tendered, a national monument named after him and the date the election was held now named Democracy Day. Perhaps President Tinubu would unwrap this on Wednesday when the nation would roll out the drums to celebrate yet another Democracy Day.

The President is expected to give a State of the Nation address while the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has lined up several activities for the day ranging from a symposium to a banquet at the Presidential Villa, which will host several dignitaries including some of the pro-democratic activists who were in the trenches fighting for the actualisation of June 12.

This is the second June 12 celebration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu but the first happened when he was barely two weeks in office. Expectations are high that the President may make some pronouncements on this edition of June 12.

Posts Carousel

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

Latest Posts

Top Authors

Most Commented

Featured Videos