The past from Lord Lugard to Balewa
Nigeria as a nation became one entity in the year 1914 when Lord Fredrick Lugard amalgamated the Southern and Northern Protectorates and Lagos Colony. Ever since then, what is now known today as Nigeria steadily evolved. Nigeria was colonized by the British. Nigerians fought relentlessly before she finally gained independence on October 1, 1960. Nigeria as an independent nation later became a republican in 1963 with a non-executive President. On January 15, 1966, there was a military coup d’etat, which overthrew the regime of Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa. The coup was led by the revolutionary Major Kaduna Nzeogwu Chukwuma.
The first coup d’etat, Ironsi and Gowon
The military coup ushered in Major General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi, who promulgated the very unpopular unification decree. On July 29, 1966, the regime of Aguiyi-Ironsi was overthrown by elements of the Nigerian military led by Colonel Yakubu Gowon, who subsequently became the Head of State.
The bloody civil war
The skirmishes associated with the coup and the question of who should be Head of State, coupled with deep-seated animosity and the pogrom on the Igbo resident in the North, eventually led to secession with the proclamation of the Republic of Biafra by Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. This later escalated to a full-blown war on July 6, 1967, and lasted till January 10, 1970. During the civil war, Nigeria’s loss in human and capital resources was monumental and unquantifiable. Human resources running into millions of people were lost. The Nigerian government spends millions of naira to mark every January 15, which is set aside as “Remembrance Day.” It is pathetic but permit me to say that the widows and the loved ones of the soldiers that died in the war are without food and many without shelter. Many soldiers who survived the war are today not being remembered. They spend weeks on queues trying to collect their meager pension where some of them have died as a result of the untold hardship which these old men are subjected to.
From Gowon to Murtala Muhammed
Gowon’s administration, which was famed for profligacy and broken promises, was toppled by the Murtala Muhammed junta on July 29, 1975. The Murtala administration was hailed as the best military administration as the general was determined to restore Nigeria to its past glory. Most regrettably, however, enemies of progress, who never wanted Murtala’s laudible and lofty ideas to come into fruition, led by Colonel Buka Suka Dinka, waylaid and assassinated him in a botched coup on his way from the mosque to his office on February 13, 1976. Consequent upon his assassination, General Olusegun Obasanjo, being the second in command to the late Murtala, took over the mantle of leadership.
From Obasanjo to Shagari
Under Obasanjo’s leadership as Head of State, Nigeria witnessed policies such as “Operation Feed the Nation”, Universal Free Primary Education, etc. None of these policies improved or ameliorated the economic situation of the Nigerian people. The regime, after three years, finally organized and conducted a presidential election for Nigeria. In the election, five political parties participated. They were the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Nigerian People’s Party (NPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP). The election result showed that the candidate of Nigeria People’s Party, Alhaji Shehu Shagari won the election by winning twelve and half states out of 19 states. The result of the election was seriously contested by the runner-up, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, wherein the Supreme Court, after listening to the opinion of the revered mathematician, Prof. Chike Obi, declared Alhaji Shehu Shagari as the winner. Even though the Supreme Court had since declared that the judgment should not be followed as a precedent, opinions still linger that the judgment was nothing short of a political judgment.
The Buhari era
The Nigerian people had not reaped the dividends of democracy when the military once again struck on December 31, 1983, under the leadership of Major General Muhammadu Buhari. Immediately after Buhari took over, he sent some of the Second Republic politicians into the gulag. People like Chief Olabisi Onabanjo of Ogun State and Prof. Ambrose Alli of the old Bendel State died as a result of their long incarceration in prison.
Under the Buhari administration, discipline was forcibly infused into the Nigerian polity, consequent upon the mantra called War Against Indiscipline (WAI). But suffice to say that Nigerians’ economic hardship continued, as discipline alone could not put food on the table of Nigerians.
Gen. Ibrahim Babangida
Buhari’s regime was finally toppled by his former school-mate, Major General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), in August 1985. He called himself “military president” instead of “Head of State”. Babangida promised to hand over to a dully democratically elected President on October 1, 1990. Babangida later reneged on his promise to hand over to a civilian government in 1990. Nigerians suffered unprecedented deceptive tendencies. His double-speak was o unparalleled that Nigerians nicknamed him “Maradona.”
Abiola and June 12
After several failed promises to hand over to a civilian government, he finally organized and conducted an election in June 12, 1993, wherein Chief M.K.O. Abiola contested under the umbrella of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The National Republican Convention (NRC) fielded Alhaji Bashir Tofa as its presidential candidate in the June 12, 1993, election. The election was adjudged the freest and fair election ever conducted in Nigeria. Chief Abiola indisputably won the election with a landside margin. But, to the chagrin of Nigerians and the international community, Babangida annulled this freest and fairest election in Nigeria. The annulment triggered reactions from within and outside Nigeria. There were protests and demonstrations across the length and breadth of Nigeria, including the North, which resulted in the loss of many lives and wanton destruction of property. Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the election, fled abroad for security reasons.
From Shonekan to Abacha
The agitation for the validation of the June 12 election persisted. The pressure on the Babangida administration became so unbearable that he “stepped aside” on August 27, 1993, thereby handing over to Ernest Shonekan as the head of an Interim National Government. Despite the declaration of a court of law (Coram: Dolapo Akinsanya) that the interim National Government was illegal, Shonekan remained on his seat until November 17, 1993, when he was shoved aside by the dark-goggled General Sani Abacha in what can be termed a palace coup. The day Abacha took over was the day Nigeria entered the darkest days of military brutality. Abacha’s regime unleashed a reign of terror on Nigerians he suspected at any slightest opportunity to be antagonizing his regime. Consequent upon this unprecedented dictatorial tendencies, various pressure groups sprang up. The most vibrant and confrontational were the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON). Some of the chieftains of NADECO like Prof. Wole Soyinka, Sen. Bola Armed Tinubu, among others, were sent on exile. JACON paraded the likes of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Mike Ozekhome, Mr. Femi Falana, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, Dr. Fredrick Fashehun and so on.
Abiola’s declaration
In June 1994, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12 election, declared himself the President. Consequent upon this, Abiola was charged with treason, an act which engineered reaction from within and outside the country.
Some NADECO chieftains who remained in Nigeria were terrorized and brutalized by Abacha’s “Killer Squad” Abacha planned to succeed himself in office despite contrary agitation by Nigerians. Abacha was desperate. He went ahead with the plan until June 8, 1998 when the cold arm of death snatched him away. Update, the details of Abiola and Abacha’s death are still sketchy.
General Adbudulsalami Abubarkar
The sudden death of Abacha ushered in the regime of General Abdusalami Abubarkar, who many thought would hand over to M.K.O. Abiola, thereby bringing into effect the aspiration and wishes of Nigerians who had voted for M.K.O. en masse in the June 12 election. Abdulsalami did not do this. He rather allowed some unknown persons to kill Abiola in government custody under the watchful eye of Kofi Annan, the then secretary general of the United Nations. Nigerians are still asking: why was M.K.O. killed? Till now, nobody has come out openly to tell Nigerians how and why Abiola was murdered in government custody. But one thing Nigerians know for sure is that the blood of M.K.O. Abiola and all those who lost their lives in the heat of the June 12 crisis shall continue to haunt the perpetrators.
(To be continued)
Thought for the week
“There is beauty and power in unity. We must be united in heart and mind. One world, one people”.
(Lailah Gifty Akita)