Investigate June 12 -Balarabe, Aremu
Alhaji AbdulKadir Balarabe Musa the first Governor of Kaduna State and a famous Labour leader, Comrade Issa Aremu, have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate circumstances that led to the annulment of the June 12 ,1993 election.
The foremost pro-democracy crusaders said it was shameful that former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida whose regime annulled the election, could not apologize.
The duo spoke in Kaduna when Aremu visited the Second Republic Governor to commemorate the June 12 Democracy Day Anniversary.
The foremost crusaders said the Federal Government should go beyond recognizing June 12 as democracy day and investigate the annulment of the 1993 election, adjudged to be the fairest in history.
They alleged that those who annulled the June 12, 1993 election was responsible for the many challenges Nigeria was facing now.
“They mustn’t get away with it,” they advised. According to Balarabe Musa, President Buhari should be commended for surprising the nation by honoring MKO Abiola.
He said Buhari should complete the task he started by investigating the circumstances that led to the annulment of June 12, while those responsible for the annulment be punished.
“They should be punished effectively, so that, such will not happen again,” he said.
“President should complete the task he started by investigating the circumstances that lead to the annulment of June 12, those responsible for the annulment and punish them effectively, so that, it will not happen again.”
“If President Muhammadu Buhari does not go further and do this, anybody can do the same thing like Babangida who annulled June 12 and got away with it; up till now, he (Babangida) is getting away it.
We must make sure that does not happen. “We must also do something fundamental that is changing the socio-economic and political and cultural system controlling all development kin this country.
And the way we can effectively do it is by making sure that, Nigeria embarks on the socialist reconstruction of Nigeria, starting with the leading role of the economy, to ensure equality, justice, the dignity of human and progressive development.” He said.
Comrade Issa Aremu described the public apology from President Buhari to Nigerians and family of MKO Abiola over the annulment, like a verbal punishment of those who annulled the election.
“Abiola earned a deserved posthumous honor President Buhari conferred on him last year and the National Stadium Abuja remanned after the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election, considering that, he was the pillar of the sport of Africa.”
“Honoring Chief MKO, however, calls for more than renaming monument, but Nigeria must deepen democracy he fought and died for. This year marks almost 30 years of the annulment, 21 years of uninterrupted civil rule, and 60 years of independence achieved through democratic mass struggle.”
“We must democratize the public space and rescue the country from the total capture and dominance of few unaccountable self-serving ruling elite”.
We must eradicate poverty as envisioned by Abiola.” “There is what I call “insufficiency in democratic practices” among the politicians that is worsening the crisis of governance in the country. Security and economic challenges can only be overcome if ordinary people are involved in governance.”
“This democracy Day takes place during the time of the COVID: 19 pandemics”.
Only through mass enlightenment about hygiene protocols and the partnership between all Stakeholders can Nigeria flatten the curve of the disease that has claimed as many as almost 400 deaths, infected almost 15000 in Nigeria and killed 400,000 people globally.
This means more democracy, more participation of the people in governance not less.” he said.
Ayooluwa Joshua