LEGACIES OF JUNE 12 AND M.K.O. ABIOLA

LEGACIES OF JUNE 12 AND M.K.O. ABIOLA

Nineteen years after the remarkable victory of Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola in the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, the victory is still as fresh as ever in the hearts of Nigerians. Though the election was inconclusive as no official results were announced, it was so also clear to the blind that he had won the election. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) overwhelmingly defeated his rival Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) even in his home state (the North). The election has since been Nigeria’s freest and fairest Presidential election by national and international observers.

However, the election was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida which inflamed political crisis. The annulment was unacceptable not just to Abiola but the people and the people supported the courageous Abiola all the way to reclaiming his people-earned mandate. This struggle witnessed the fall of mighty heroes including Kudirat Abiola (his wife). Abiola also lost his life in 1998 in this struggle.

There is no gainsaying that the June 12 undeclared victory of Abiola, the political crisis, the loss of lives of the mighty; the supporters; and innocent souls, and the firm advocacy for civil rule in Nigeria all culminated into the current day democracy we are experiencing.

Beyond the foregoing, I have been compelled to ask some questions as to why after nineteen years, the fire of June 12 is still burning in hearts of the people. It gains more momentum by the year. So, I have asked myself two questions viz:

1.      What if it had been another person who contested for the June 12 Presidential election, would it have gathered such momentum till date? and

2.      What made Abiola so loved and desired by Nigerians nineteen years after June 12, 1993 and fourteen years after his demise?

On the first question, what readily came to my mind was that, the victory of June 12 was the victory of the people achieved for Abiola. As noted earlier, Abiola won even in the opponent’s home state. He won at the national capital, Abuja, the military polling stations, and over two-thirds of Nigerian states. The victory was unalloyed expression of the truism that sovereignty lies in the people. It was obviously the people’s desire that prevailed. So, the victory of June 12 was the victory of Nigerians for Abiola. The people were also ready to stand and in deed stood by this victory with Abiola till date. It may not impossible to say that if it had been another candidate, the people would still have prevailed but this will be better explored in answering the second question.

What made Abiola so loved and desired by Nigerians nineteen years after June 12, 1993 and fourteen years after his demise? Without much ado, there are three things identifiable in answering this:

1.      Philanthropy

2.      Vision

3.      Identity with the people.

PHILANTHROPY

Abiola sprang to national and international prominence as a result of his philanthropic gestures. His sacrifices and contributions across every sphere of public life was numerous. There has never been a philanthropist on his scale in the history of this nation. In 1990, he donated N1m to each state university, N50,000 to each Federal University for students welfare, N20,000 to the libraries of each Federal University, N25,000 to each Polytechnic and College of Education. To his credit was the construction of 63 secondary schools, 141 libraries, 121 churches and mosques, and 21 water projects in 24 states in Nigeria. He established Abiola Bookshops to provide affordable, locally produced books in the 1980s when imported books became out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians when Naira was devalued. He awarded over 1,000 scholarships to deserving students in tertiary institutions at home and abroad.

This is actually overwhelming. It is expedient to note that philanthropy on this scale is beyond taint with motive to achieve presidency. He did not need to do so much if he had the intention of buying people’s hearts to vote for him. It was more of an expression of compassion which establishes the fact that he related with the people and understood their difficulties. He did not just stop at the understanding, he made efforts to remedy the situation. The people therefore had no iota of doubt that if he became the President, he would do more with the effective use of office.

One of the indispensable qualities of a good leader at any level is relating with followers to understand their fears, worries, emotions and wants. No one will ever be able to touch the lives of the followers without compassion. Abiola exhibited this and the people loved, longed and desired him to lead the nation. Developing a nation and ensuring a better standard of living of the people through government activities, policies and legislations, regulations among others are tied to compassion of the leaders to the followers. If there is no compassion, things can only get worse for the nation.

VISION

Having an understanding of the economic status of the nation which affected the finances and standard of living of Nigerians,  Abiola casted a vision of ending poverty in Nigeria. He spoke the people’s language and because of his personality an deeds, the people believed in his competence and capability to lead the nation out of poverty.

Clarity of vision is an essential factor to be considered in the race of leadership all levels both in the public and private sector. A leader with no vision or clear vision will only stagnate the followers all through his period in leadership. Abiola has a clearly spelt out vision and communicated it to the people. This naturally made people go all out to vote for him and when the election was annulled, the people stood by him to the end of his life even till date.

IDENTITY WITH THE PEOPLE

Abiola identified with the people as opposed to the selected few people that threaten national growth. Though I was in the secondary school in the election year till his demise in 1998 when I left secondary school, my study of this giant revealed that his strength was substantially in the power of the people. He made it incontrovertible to the people that sovereignty lie in them.

This may not be unconnected to the fact that he had enough resources to run his race for presidency. Funding of political races has diverted the loyalty to the few people with resources who support the candidates at the expense of the populace. However, growth in democracy may be a gradual process but we all have the responsibility to desire advancement and indeed advance. Until the time when candidates are sponsored and supported by the ordinary Nigerians collectively, the stake of the few above the populace may drag on.

To conclude this piece, the legacies of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election by the candidacy and struggle of M.K.O. Abiola and all the people should not be isolated from the celebration of the day.

It is also the day of victory of the strength and will of the people. The challenge of the legacies to the current leaders is to understand the people and have compassion for the followers without which nothing substantial can be done to make people benefit the dividends of democracy. More so, it is a challenge to leaders at all levels to earn the love and support of the populace as opposed to the current few. Loyalty should be to the people.

Olusola Akinyemi Esq.

President

The Joseph Initiative, Lagos.