Sometime in May, 1993, another rally of the Social Democratic Party, SDP just ended at about 7.45pm in Oshogbo, Osun State. The June 12, 1993 election was few weeks away. The political correspondents from Tribune, Sketch, Third Eye and Vanguard checked into the hotel reserved for them as usual. This has become a routine for us, as I was the Vanguard correspondent attached to the SDP South West zone. The campaigns were zoned with the party’s zonal leaders leading, and sometime the Presidential Candidate, Bashorun MKO Abiola will be present.
After sending the stories using the hotel’s telephone – that was how we send our stories or we use the post office telex machine – I retired to my room. Being on the campaign trail was always energy sapping and sometime risky, considering the breath-taking speed of the vehicular convoy when travelling from one rally to another. But the joy always was when you read your story in the newspaper the next morning.
Need for a change
That night I thought of the need for a change to campaign promises that most times are not fulfilled. Because my beat was the SDP and believing the Party will win the Presidential election, I decided to publish a handbook on political accountability using the party’s manifestos and adding all other promises not in the manifestos but made by the Presidential candidate, Bashorun MKO Abiola during the campaigns. He made promises and pledges peculiar to any state he visited.
The objective was to examine these campaign promises, pledges and party manifestoes in four years when, probably, the President or the Party will seek for re-election and match them with the fulfilled and unfilled ones.
Back to the office in Lagos, I spoke with my Desk Editor, Tunji Olawuni of my plans. As ever and always supporting boss, he advised me to contact Chris Mammah, former Punch Newspaper’s Deputy Editor, who was then consulting for some top politicians.
Oga Chris’ (as we called him) office was at Oluyole bus stop along Oregun road. It was a sort of haven for most of us covering the SDP. I told him of my plans and he was excited that such was necessary at ensuring accountability not just for the political party but for Nigeria as a country.
Days after going through the synopsis together for final approval, Chris promised to arrange a meeting with Kola Abiola. He was sure the project will get Kola’s support, even though it was going to be a “monitoring” book of the performance of his dad in office.
Wednesday after the June 12 elections, and while the results were still coming in, we decided to make the move for the meeting with Kola Abiola at his place, then in Anthony Village, believing that Chief MKO Abiola was sure of victory. If approved, the plan was to make the book ready before the swearing-in in October 1993.
I was at Chris’ office at about 1pm as arranged, smartly dressed and ready to go and present, convince and win the support of Kola Abiola for the “noble project”.
“Deba, it’s like IBB will annul the elections,” Chris said in a very somber tone. “That will be bad!” I responded alarmingly. It was really a sad moment. The air in the office that afternoon was “still”.
Was the book on political accountability going to be stillborn? I already had copies and photocopies of cuttings from virtually all publications at that time, specifically on Chief MKO Abiola’s campaign.
I was so convinced that the book will serve as a model for accountability which was lacking not just in politics but in all areas of the country’s endeavors.
I had imagined how the States will pick it up and down to the local governments. I had imagined the great change and impact it will make in the country. I had imagined. And now, I can only imagine! Alas, the June 12, 1993 election was annulled!
Watching Kola Abiola on the podium on June 12, 2018 with President Muhammadu Buhari and other dignitaries as Chief MKO Abiola was posthumously conferred with the highest recognition of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic brought back the memory of My June 12.
It is commendable that Kola Abiola was able to fight to get the recognition that Chief MKO Abiola deserved 25years after, it is pertinent however to point out that he(Kola) actually fought and won for the country’s democracy and justice.
After sending the stories using the hotel’s telephone – that was how we send our stories or we use the post office telex machine – I retired to my room. Being on the campaign trail was always energy sapping and sometime risky, considering the breath-taking speed of the vehicular convoy when travelling from one rally to another. But the joy always was when you read your story in the newspaper the next morning.
Need for a change
That night I thought of the need for a change to campaign promises that most times are not fulfilled. Because my beat was the SDP and believing the Party will win the Presidential election, I decided to publish a handbook on political accountability using the party’s manifestos and adding all other promises not in the manifestos but made by the Presidential candidate, Bashorun MKO Abiola during the campaigns. He made promises and pledges peculiar to any state he visited.
The objective was to examine these campaign promises, pledges and party manifestoes in four years when, probably, the President or the Party will seek for re-election and match them with the fulfilled and unfilled ones.
Back to the office in Lagos, I spoke with my Desk Editor, Tunji Olawuni of my plans. As ever and always supporting boss, he advised me to contact Chris Mammah, former Punch Newspaper’s Deputy Editor, who was then consulting for some top politicians.
Oga Chris’ (as we called him) office was at Oluyole bus stop along Oregun road. It was a sort of haven for most of us covering the SDP. I told him of my plans and he was excited that such was necessary at ensuring accountability not just for the political party but for Nigeria as a country.
Days after going through the synopsis together for final approval, Chris promised to arrange a meeting with Kola Abiola. He was sure the project will get Kola’s support, even though it was going to be a “monitoring” book of the performance of his dad in office.
Wednesday after the June 12 elections, and while the results were still coming in, we decided to make the move for the meeting with Kola Abiola at his place, then in Anthony Village, believing that Chief MKO Abiola was sure of victory. If approved, the plan was to make the book ready before the swearing-in in October 1993.
I was at Chris’ office at about 1pm as arranged, smartly dressed and ready to go and present, convince and win the support of Kola Abiola for the “noble project”.
“Deba, it’s like IBB will annul the elections,” Chris said in a very somber tone. “That will be bad!” I responded alarmingly. It was really a sad moment. The air in the office that afternoon was “still”.
Was the book on political accountability going to be stillborn? I already had copies and photocopies of cuttings from virtually all publications at that time, specifically on Chief MKO Abiola’s campaign.
I was so convinced that the book will serve as a model for accountability which was lacking not just in politics but in all areas of the country’s endeavors.
I had imagined how the States will pick it up and down to the local governments. I had imagined the great change and impact it will make in the country. I had imagined. And now, I can only imagine! Alas, the June 12, 1993 election was annulled!
Watching Kola Abiola on the podium on June 12, 2018 with President Muhammadu Buhari and other dignitaries as Chief MKO Abiola was posthumously conferred with the highest recognition of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic brought back the memory of My June 12.
It is commendable that Kola Abiola was able to fight to get the recognition that Chief MKO Abiola deserved 25years after, it is pertinent however to point out that he(Kola) actually fought and won for the country’s democracy and justice.
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