MKO Abiola leading ‘hero of democracy’ vote

Acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Bashorun MKO Abiola, is leading the Hero of Democracy vote among readers of TheCable.

The vote, aimed at marking 15 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria, will end at 11.59pm on Wednesday, May 28.

So far, 28.43% of voters have picked Abiola, who died in military custody in 1998 while fighting for the validation of the 1993 election.

Abiola was a well-known friend of government, but June 12 marked a turning point in his life as he surprisingly took on the military regime and refused to accept the annulment of the election.

He declared himself president in 1994 and was subsequently arrested and detained until his death.

Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 was believed to have been accelerated by the momentum generated by the campaign for the validation of June 12 election.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has so far scored 25.82% and is currently second.

He was vice-president from 1999 to 2007 and won decisive court victories that strengthened “constitutional democracy” in the country.

One of the landmark judgments is the inability of an “administrative panel” to disqualify a candidate from standing in an election except the indictment has been accepted by a court of law.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had compiled a list of politicians to be excluded from the 2007 elections based on indictment by a hastily put together “administrative panel”, apparently at the behest of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Atiku also won a case against attempts to remove him as vice-president on the account of his defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Constitutional lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, is currently third with 16.67% of the votes cast.

Fawehimi, who died in 2009, was arrested and jailed a number of times by the military government because of his activism, mostly on constitutionalism and democracy.

He was easily the most arrested and jailed Nigerian in history, and he was particularly subjected to mental torture by various military governments because of his activism.

The nominees also include: Dr Alex Ekwueme, who led eminent politicians to demand democracy from the military and was a prominent figure in the founding of PDP; Chief Abraham Adesanya, who led pro-democracy activists against military rule; Gen. A. A. Abubakar, former head of state who handed over power to civilians in record time; and Justice Ephraim Akpata, who conducted the 1999 elections fairly transparently.

Others are: Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who stabilised the system for eight years with his deft handling of the military; Mr. Peter Obi, whose court victory altered electoral calendar forever and redefined election litigation; Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, who was assassinated in the struggle for democracy; Senator Chris Anyanwu, an activist journalist who was allegedly framed up and jailed for a coup in 1995; and Chief Anthony Enahoro, who was forced into exile for leading the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).

Some readers, dissatisfied with TheCable list, named their own nominees, including former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari, for providing “credible opposition candidature” since 2003; former head of state Gen. Ibrahim Babangida for organising the “freest election” in Nigeria’s history; and Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State for proving “democracy dividends” to the people.

The readers’ choice will be announced on Thursday, May 29.

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