Compatriots, tomorrow is June 12 2017, on this auspicious day in 1993, Nigerians across all divide jettisoned ethnic, religious and primordial sentiments to speak with their vote in unity for a truly democratic and federal republic of Nigeria.
On that day 24 years ago, Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for a MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe Muslim Muslim ticket against a Bashir Tofa and Sylvester Ugoh Muslim Christian ticket.
Chief MKO Abiola and Nigerians tenaciously kept faith with this mandate despite the violence visited on them which resulted in the loss of lives of thousands of Nigerians including that of the custodian of the mandate Chief Abiola who was killed in detention under the junta of General Abdulsalami Abubakar after being incarcerated for about 5 years by General Sani Abaca junta, his wife Kudirat Abiola was gruesomely murdered, limbs maimed, businesses and lives destroyed, properties worth millions of naira perished.
It was the insistence of Nigerians and Chief MKO Abiola on the sanctity of the June 12, 1993 Presidential mandate that forced the military to exit our political space by installing one of their own General Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd.) as President on May 29th, 1999 after a discredited election.
Whether they like it or not, admit or pretend, the truth of the matter is that June 12 remains Nigeria's authentic Democracy and not May 29th which is just the swearing in day.
On June 12, we stand as Democracy Day.
Nelson Ekujumi
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