Last Thursday, the Senate passed a bill seeking to change Nigeria’s Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12.
The bill introduced by a federal lawmaker, Edward Pwajok, in the House of Representatives, was reported to have been unanimously adopted by Senators at plenary.
The bill seeks to amend the Public Holiday Act 2004 to make June 12 the new date for Democracy Day in Nigeria, replacing May 29, which had been observed since the handing over from military to civilian administration in the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999.
After the passage, the bill is expected to be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent, after clean-up by the Legal Services Department of the National Assembly.
Incumbent President Buhari had in June 2018 directed that the nation’s Democracy Day will, henceforth, hold on June 12 of every year as against the current arrangement where the ceremony holds on May 29.
The President had last year posthumously honoured the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola, with the highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).
Abiola, who was then a wealthy business mogul and philanthropist, had contested and won the presidential election.
He contested on the platform of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP), while his running mate was Baba Gana Kingibe.
Abiola and Kingibe contested against Bashir Othman Tofa and his running mate, Sylvester Ugoh, who ran on the platform of the now defunct National Republican Convention (NRC).
The June 12, 1993 presidential election, up till today, is still perceived to be the most free and fair poll in the history of Nigeria.
However, the passage of the bill by the Nigerian Senate, perhaps, opened a new chapter for democracy in the country and the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate.
While Abiola and his wife, Kudirat, died under questionable circumstances in 1997, successive military regimes and the civilian administrations, since 1999, have however, ignored the call for due recognition of Abiola as the true winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Although, former President Goodluck Jonathan, renamed the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after Abiola, the move was however, resisted by students and Alumni of the institution, prompting him to drop the idea.
Buhari has been commended for the courage in according due respect to Abiola and June 12.
But some political observers and analysts have also urged the President to extend the honour to some other Nigerians and activists who fought for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate.
Those making the case recalled that a number of activists who resisted the annulment lost their lives, while many others were forced into exile. They argue that without the efforts of such activists, there would not have been a democracy that today’s politicians are enjoying, including the President.
It is worth mentioning that effort of some activists such as; lateChima Ubani, Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, Emma Ezeazu, Frank Kokori, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Ndubuisi Kanu, Innocent Chukwuma, Chidi Odinkalu, Joe Okei Odumakin , Abdul Oroh, Gani Fawehinmi, among others, cannot easily be forgotten in the struggle.
However, political observers have described the move by President Buhari as a step in the right direction toward healing the wounds of the past and giving the nation’s democracy a sense of history.
They however, expressed the optimism that with the legalisation of June 12, the heroes of the struggle may be honoured at some point.
Chibuke Ananaba, a lawyer, noted that the recognition of June 12 will go a long way in healing the wounds of the past in the country, stressing that the move by President Buhari and National Assembly should be commended.
Ananaba, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), however, supported the honouring of the heroes of the June 12 struggle, but noted that it would come with time.
“Giving more prominent to June 12 would be the beginning of healing the wounds of the past and
“But I believe with this, if this is successful we are likely to honour these people who fought for June 12.
“It is important that the President acknowledged June 12 and the entire Senate has approved it for holiday; many of us were in Lagos State then, when it happened and we know that event shaped the country.
“It would heal the wound, give our democracy a trace, and give us a sense of consciousness, it would go a long way in bringing the country together; the move should be commended”.
Supo Ojo, activist and former President of the Nigerian Civic Liberty Organisatiop, (CLO), said with the recognition of June 12 and honouring of Abiola, President Buhari had taken the honour which previous President could not take.
He however, advocated that the June would not be complete without the administration giving recognitions to men and woman who fought for it.
“President Buhari have taken a pact of honour with this decision to honour Abiola and give June 12 recognition, I must commend him and the National Assembly.
“This is what the previous government should have done but they shied away from it and lost the honour”.
“But I don’t think the honour will be complete without giving due recognition to men and women who fought for June 12, some are dead and some are still alive, we have to honour them”.
Iniobong Iwok
