By HANNATU MUSAWA
On a Tuesday, 4th of June, 1996, around 3:05 pm, something unbelievable happened that shook the core of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. Kudirat Abiola was gunned down as her car slowed down around 7-Up Depot/Bus Stop in Ikeja, Lagos State. She was instantly killed along with her chauffeur and assistant.
Many people who knew her opined that her death brought a beautiful, brilliant and bold life, which she was generally believed to have lived, to an untimely end. With her death, a new chapter was opened in Nigeria’s political history, as the deceased became one of the prominent martyrs in the struggle for a truly democratic nation.
The outspoken wife of Chief M.K.O Abiola gave her life for this country and, even in death, she remains a symbol of Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. She is one of several Nigerians that paid the supreme price in their quest for a better, freer, and democratic Nigeria.
Another of such martyrs was Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. After serving in the military and as the Third Republic beckoned, Yar’Adua and his group formed the People’s Front of Nigeria. Its members included current President Bola Tinubu, Babagana Kingibe, Atiku Abubakar, Magaji Abdullahi, Ango Abdullahi, Ahmadu Rufa’i, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Tony Anenih, Chuba Okadigbo among other great Nigerians. The People’s Front later merged to form the Social Democratic Party (SDP). About two years after the 1993 elections, he alongside Olusegun Obasanjo, Lawan Gwadabe and others, were arrested on allegations of plotting a coup to overthrow the military regime. He was sentenced to death by a military tribunal in the same year after calling on the military government and the Provisional Ruling Council to re-establish civilian rule. The sentence was commuted to life in prison but he died in captivity on 8 December 1997.
Just five days after Nigeria celebrated her independence on 1st October 1995, a prominent pro-democracy activist and business man was murdered at his Ikeja residence in Lagos State. He was Alfred Rewane, a major financier of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and close associate of Obafemi Awolowo. In the 1990s, his residence was the venue of political meetings that led to the formation of NADECO which was quite vocal in its opposition to the military regime. He was one of the few Pro-Democracy activists who fought against the military but sadly, he paid the ultimate price. This pro-democracy advocate is one of the great Nigerians that “gave their yesterday for the liberty that is ours today.”
Crystalised to be celebrated annually on June 12 by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, Democracy Day remains entrenched in our minds to honour the heroes who championed the struggle and made extra-ordinary sacrifices for the enthronement of democratic rule in Nigeria.
Back in history, on June 12th, an estimated 14 million Nigerians set aside ethnic, religious, class, and regional affiliations to elect their president with the hope of ending several years of military dictatorship. In the Third Republic, there were only two political parties, the SDP and the National Republican Convention (NRC). The candidates were two of the most patriotic and greatest people our nation has ever produced; MKO Abiola of the SDP and Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the NRC.
Consequently, at the end of the election, MKO Abiola was believed to have won the majority of votes and in more states, including Kano, Alhaji Bashir Tofa’s state. But alas, the election was annuled before the results were declared, breaking the hearts of millions of Nigerians and splintering the veil of trust and our ability to rise above sectional loyalties and place national interest above ethnic considerations. Like the name of Fela’s 1977 album, June 12 and its victories no doubt, came with “Sorrow, Tears, and Blood.”
Something was lost on that day. Something that went above ethno-religious sentiments. Something that shunned any differences. It was one of the most significant moments in Nigeria’s democratic history because it transcended our divisions.
Nigerians from different regions, religions, and cultural backgrounds overwhelmingly supported the presumed winner, Chief Moshood Abiola, not because of his ethnicity, but because they believed in his vision and leadership. June 12 offered a powerful glimpse of a united Nigeria where competence, hope, and shared aspirations mattered more than tribe or religion. Although the election was annulled, its legacy endures as a reminder that the Nigerian people have the capacity to reject division, embrace inclusiveness, and strengthen democracy through unity of purpose.
June 12 brought everyone’s democratic sentiments together across Nigeria with a single purpose and in the spirit of actually using their power to have their democratic say devoid of ethnic, religious and tribal sentiment.
In light of the example of the heroes of democracy, each and every Nigerian can also contribute their quota in advancing our democracy. Each one of us has a constitutional right to do so. Our democracy will only thrive when citizens participate actively and directly in moving democracy forward. And even if each of our sacrifices does not resemble that of those who died for June 12 or for democracy itself, it is about participation in the process. And, no, it is not about party affiliation, it is about the fact that each and every citizen has both a voice and a vote, and our democracy depends on how willing we are to use them. The right to be part of our democarcy is not merely a privilege; it is a responsibility that gives each of us the power to influence the direction of our country.
We must rise above ethnic, religious and regional divisions and recognise that our shared identity as Nigerians is greater than the differences that seek to separate us. We have seen that through the sacrifices of the heros that fought for our democracy.
The future of Nigeria is not something that simply happens to us. It is something we build together; one responsible citizen at a time. This is exactly what the heroes of democracy did. Through courage, resilience, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to this nation, they fought for a Nigeria where the voice of every citizen matters.
Our democracy will continue to flourish when we honour the sacrifices and embrace the values exemplified by the likes of Kudirat Abiola, Mallam Aminu Kano, Alfred Rewane, Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, Chuba Okadigbo, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Prof Wole Soyinka, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Frank Kokori, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehinmi and so many of our great democratic heroes. Men and women that were vigilant, responsible, and willing to make sacrifices for the progress of Nigeria.
On a Tuesday, 4th of June, 1996, around 3:05 pm something unbelievable happened that shook the core of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. We lost a great Nigerian heroine as she fought for the spirit of June 12. May the loss of Kudirat Abiola serve as a continuous reminder to Nigerians on the imperative of improving our democracy. And despite our challenges, we can improve our democracy by honouring her legacy, not merely with words, but by emulating the dedication to the pursuit of the common good above personal, ethnic, or partisan interests.
•Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, wrote from Abuja.
