The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, who was an active participant in the pro-democracy struggle following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election widely believed to have been won by Chief Moshood Abiola speaks on the significance of June 12, the state of Nigeria’s democracy, and the failures of governance 25 years after the country’s return to civilian rule

As an active participant in the June 12 struggle, what does the day represent to you and the Yoruba people at large?

June 12 is the day Nigerians liberated themselves from military government and establishment. It symbolises Democracy Day. June 12, 1993, was the day Nigerians set aside their ethnicities, tribes, and religions to vote for the right choice, and they voted for the man of the people, Chief MKO Abiola. It was a day that the principle of democracy was enshrined in Nigeria.

June 12 is beyond the Yoruba race. Yoruba people are an integral part of Nigeria. So, when we talk of June 12, it goes beyond the Yoruba people because it was the day different tribes voted for Abiola. He won the election in some states in the North, part of the South-East, and the Middle Belt. It was a national struggle, and it has remained a national issue. It goes beyond the interests of the Yoruba.

Do you think the ideals of June 12, for which MKO Abiola paid the ultimate price, have been achieved in Nigeria’s democracy today?

Unfortunately, we have not achieved the ideals of June 12. The situation we are in now does not reflect the democracy we are still looking for. I am not happy with the way our democracy is being handled. I am not happy with the way the organs of government are being run, especially the legislature. When the military was in power, the credibility the judiciary had then was even far beyond what they have now. Their verdicts on election tribunals, political issues, and even some corporate matters are becoming far more disappointing.

Our legislators, even from the time of former President Muhammadu Buhari, have been a rubber stamp. It did not start with this Godswill Akpabio-led National Assembly. There is no way we could have a system of checks and balances among the three organs of government in such an environment. We are not saying the legislators should be in opposition to the executive, but they must act like a proper parliament. They must act as true representatives of their constituencies. There are some bills that require you to consult your constituencies before passing them. You need to go and ask your constituents what they want regarding the bills before their passage. The Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives even need to consult their constituents before some bills are passed. It is not supposed to be a situation where, every time, you just demonstrate for a few people and pass the bills like that. The way our parliamentarians have been participating in democracy is practically leading to the derailment of our democracy.

The judiciary too—I am not a lawyer, but we have a lot of friends who are lawyers, and we do ask them questions about some rulings and verdicts. We realise that the credibility of our judiciary is draining day by day, ditto the executive. A good leader should be acting on the basis of a government of national unity, but something like that has not happened in the past 15 years. That is giving us serious concern, and we don’t want to act as an opposition. We prefer to play a mature role and should not appear to be opposing what the government is doing. But if we keep quiet and refuse to say the truth, that means we are destroying our future and what we fought for. We were in the trenches for a period of five to six years. I would have been killed in Yaba by armoured tanks when we were protesting on June 12 after Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar took over power following Gen. Sani Abacha’s death. We were always on the streets. I didn’t even have up to three clothes because of the June 12 struggle.

You said ‘we’ don’t want to act as opposition. Who are the ‘we’?

I’m talking about the group I’m leading. I don’t want to act as an opposition based on my position. I want to be moderate. I want my words to be constructive. When I speak in the media, people should reason with me, that this man is speaking as an objective person who wants the very best for Nigeria, and not someone speaking on the basis of partisanship.

How should Nigerians truly honour MKO Abiola’s legacy beyond public holidays and official ceremonies?

The government has done well by making June 12 a public holiday and Democracy Day. We have to give kudos to Buhari for doing that; people did not expect that he could do it. However, President Tinubu, who has June 12 as one of his credentials to demonstrate his contribution to democracy, as a result of being a member of the National Democratic Coalition that fought against the annulment of June 12 will have to do more.

Former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, recently asked the Federal Government to pay the N45bn debt owed to Abiola by the Nigerian government. I think Tinubu should pay that money because Abiola’s family needs money now. We don’t need to go into the details of what is happening among the sons and daughters of MKO. This man suffered for Nigeria’s democracy, and they killed him at the end of the day. Abiola should not be someone whose money the Federal Government withholds. I am appealing to the government to pay that money to the family. Giving one of them an appointment is not enough. How much are they paying them? By paying that money to the family, they can revive some of Abiola’s businesses.

His house on Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos must be immortalised. It should be a place that tourists can visit. The people who know about tourism should make that house a monument so that people will understand the importance of defending democracy. Also, those with a negative mindset will see the consequences of destroying the essence of democracy. I know that some universities have been named after him, but we should do more to appreciate our fallen heroes. When we immortalise them and make their children happy, their spirits will support our dear nation. Without doing that, they will work against us. 

I am not talking about Abiola alone, something should be done for other fallen heroes who sacrificed for this country, so that their spirits can be with the nation.

We don’t know what is wrong with the nation. Things are going upside down. We are witnessing signs of retrogression in our country every day. We should look beyond political strategy. We should research deeply and find solutions to solve our problems.

Looking back 25 years after Nigeria’s return to democracy, do you think the country has made any meaningful democratic progress?

No, we have not. The level of corruption in our democracy now is about ten times worse than during the military era. Ninety per cent of local government allocations have been taken away from them by the governors, and about 70 per cent of what is supposed to be controlled by the states has been taken away by the Federal Government. That is one of the reasons we are calling for restructuring. You can’t build a house on an unstable foundation. The level of corruption we have now is far higher than what the military did to us. The level of impunity from the president and governors is also very high. The local government chairmen have been turned into puppets. So, a lot of things need to be done to achieve democratic progress. There is a need for electoral reform.

How would you assess the current administration’s commitment to democratic principles and inclusivity?

I think there is less commitment to democratic principles. What progress can we make if we don’t allow the judiciary to be independent? In most countries, the judiciary does not get its allocation from the president. It comes directly from the parliament. The judiciary is an independent arm of government. It is a government on its own, headed by the Chief Judge.

Check other countries, judiciaries are so independent that the appointment of the Chief Judge does not come from the president. It always comes from the judicial council. Who becomes the next president or Chief Judge is determined by the organs of the judiciary. But here, he who pays the piper dictates the tune. Nigeria’s judiciary is not independent.

The judiciary is the last hope of the common man. Look at what is happening in the Western world, if the president wants to harass anybody or make an unfriendly law, they go to court, and the court delivers justice. But where will you run to in Nigeria when the executive is ready to deal with you?

The problem with our politicians is that they do not understand that power is transient. Power is momentary; nobody will be in power forever except God Almighty. Whatever you do today becomes history. So, we have to be very careful. Our politicians need to rethink how to deliver good governance.

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The economy is also not friendly. The exchange rate is negatively affecting almost everybody, especially those who need medical attention abroad. Hardly will you see anyone eating three square meals daily. Even some people within the system are complaining that things are not right.