General Secretary of the National Democratic Coalition, Ayo Opadokun, has unveiled the names of prominent political, military and technocratic figures he alleged signed a document that paved the way for the nullification of the June 12, 1993, presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola.
The revelation is contained in Opadokun’s newly launched 509-page book titled ‘The NADECO Story’, unveiled last week in Lagos.
In Chapter 27 of the book, Opadokun accused several leading figures in Nigeria’s political establishment of endorsing the Interim National Government arrangement that followed the annulment of the June 12 election by the military regime of Gen Ibrahim Babangida.
Among those listed as signatories to the controversial document were former Chief of General Staff, Augustus Aikhomu; former Head of the Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan; former Senate President, David Mark; ex-foreign affairs minister, Tom Ikimi; former old Anambra State governor, Jim Nwobodo; and former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Musa Yar’Adua.
Others named by the NADECO chieftain included the chairman of the Social Democratic Party in 1993, Tony Anenih, Adamu Ciroma, former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, Gen Aliyu Gusau, Patrick Dele-Cole, Dapo Sarumi, Abubakar Rimi, Olusola Saraki and Joe Nwodo.
Opadokun wrote, “The big Nigerian ‘Patriots,’ who also signed the remarkable document that nailed the coffin of June 12, include people of note, who for whatever reason sold their integrity and dignity to subsume the popular mandate of MKO.”
According to the book, the controversial agreement emerged after a tripartite committee made up of representatives of the military government, the SDP and the National Republican Convention resolved to establish an Interim National Government headed by Shonekan as the June 12 crisis deepened.
“The Guardian recalls that in 1993, as the June 12 election crisis degenerated with no end in sight, a tripartite committee comprising members of the then military regime and the two political parties, SDP and NRC, buckled under the weight of pressure. They compromised and then agreed to form an Interim National Government,” the book stated.
Opadokun identified Aikhomu, who was vice president under Babangida, as the first signatory to the document.
“Specifically, the first signatory to the evil document was Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, who was then Vice President under the then military presidency of Babangida,” he wrote.
The author added that Shonekan, who later headed the ING, was the second signatory. At the same time, former Internal Affairs official Abdulrahman Okene signed on as the third actor in the arrangement.
He also highlighted the role allegedly played by some leaders of the then SDP, including Anenih, who was chairman of the party that won the June 12 election.
“Chief Tony Anenih was chairman of SDP at the time of the June 12 annulment. It was the victory of the party he led that was negotiated away,” the book stated.
On Joe Nwodo, Opadokun wrote that he was “the only political actor then who signed the June 12 historic document ‘with reservations’ under a tripartite committee set up to compromise the integrity of the best election in Nigeria’s history.”
Credit: THE PUNCH
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