BY AUSTIN AJAYI, YOLA – As Nigerians mark 27 years after the annulment of the June 12 presidential election, the former governor of old Gongola state, Ambassador Wilberforce Juta, has declared that June 12 should be a memorial day for mourning and not a Democracy Day for celebration.
The former governor noted that making June 12 a Democracy Day was wrong because it was on that day democracy was raped due to injustice against what was acclaimed to be the most free and fair election ever held in Nigeria.
“June 12 should be declared a day of memorial where we should mourn and not celebrate. Though, President Buhari has declared the day as Democracy Day, and there is nothing I can do about it. However, I must commend the President for giving Late MKO Abiola a post-humous award of the highest honor of the country which shows that MKO Abiola actually won the election, but was never allowed to rule,” he said.
The former governor, who also served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, said the nation’s democracy cannot be celebrated without referring to the June 12 struggles, adding, “No reason was given for the annulment. It was after the death of Mrs Kudirat Abiola that we discovered that the annulment was deliberate. Abiola fought hard for his mandate, but the powers that be at that time said no.”
According to Juta, “My joy is the uninterrupted democracy in the last 21 years and I hope this joy will continue,” noting that the worst democratic rule is better than a military junta and advised politicians to be upright in their dealings.
Interesting. Quite incisive