Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore says he had plans with the late Chief Moshood Abiola, popularly known as MKO Abiola, for a future that would be a truly democratic society. Abiola was the winner of June 12, 1993, presidential election annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida-led military junta. Sunday makes it 29 years since the historic event.
Omoyele SoworeBBCSowore, who was a students’ leader during the political struggle that followed the annulment, on Sunday shared a video on Twitter, showing as Abiola was being interviewed with his supporters (including Sowore) behind him. The presidential aspirant of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections said those enjoying Nigeria’s democracy are the same elements who annulled the 1993 election. He said, “During the June 12, 1993, election saga I was a 22-year-old university student at the University of Lagos (here with Chief MKO Abiola the winner of the historic election).
We had plans for a future that was about a true democratic society, now largely stunted by the same elements that annulled the election. “All the struggle(s) fell on our shoulders to defend democracy which the military led by Ibrahim Babangida and his civilian collaborators were sabotaging. Today is a reminder of what we as young people did to bring an end to military dictatorship and the call of duty again to ensure that the enemies of our “democracy” are not emboldened again to keep abusing our democracy. “By 2023, it would have been 29 years since these struggles started and were consistently fought! Don’t let us forget how we got here and why we must not travel further with those who directly participated or those who were and have remained complicit in these acts against our collective humanity! #WeCantContinueLikeThis #SoworeForPresident #GetYourPVC.”
Credit: SaharaReporters