Abiola, Buhari and politics without altruism
12 June 2018 By Abiodun Giwa
Obasanjo and Buhari
Notable politicians and some eminent Nigerians gather in Abuja on Tuesday, in honor of Bashorun MKO Abiola and to commemorate June 12 as Democracy Day.
June 12 was the day election that Abiola believed to have won was annulled. A posthumous award is bestowed on Abiola by President Muhammed Buhari, Nigeria’s current leader.
Many Nigerians have asked whether Buhari’s honor to Abiola is not a Greek gift, aimed at catching votes in the next presidential election, when Buhari will be seeking reelection.
However, majority of Abiola’s followers seem to be confused about Buhari’s intention, because according to them the recognition accorded Abiola and June 12 as Democracy Day in the country is long overdue. They have asked Buhari to go a step further to recognize Abiola as a former president, and pay his emoluments to surviving members of his family.
Femi Falana, a Nigerian prominent lawyer, said that Buhari’s honor of Abiola represents a recognition of Abiola as a former president, based on news reports. But on Tuesday, Buhari may have disappointed Falana and others, who could not see the real Buhari’s intention for giving Abiola an award and declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, with Buhari's apology to Nigerians about annulment of the 1993 election, and that he has no intention of making Abiola a former president.
Buhari has acted as a politician, but with a bit of truth in his action. He has shown that politicians are not just like actors, but that they are the real actors. It is generally believed among observers that politicians can hardly do anything that will not result into votes in their favor. Therefore, politicians are regarded as vote hunters, and that whatever politicians do must have ulterior motive get votes for election or reelection. Curious political observers believe that election or reelection is like a lifeline to politicians and that politicians will do anything to get elected or reelected. And there can be nothing bad giving recognition to an otherwise political enemy, if the recognition will result in massive votes.
In other words, it is about discussion of altruism and politics as strange bed fellows. It is the thought that has crowds the minds of curious observers as Nigerians match toward the next presidential election of 2019, and President Buhari has awarded a posthumous award to MKO Abiola, basically to use it to remove the apparent barrier between him and reelection.
In 1983, Muhammed became Nigeria’s military head of state through a coup, and he was unseated through another coup in 1985. The 1985 coup was reportedly bankrolled by Abiola. The 1985 coup kicked Muhammed out of office, when General Ibrahim Babangida was installed as Nigeria’s first military president.
Ironically, Abiola contested a presidential election in 1993, when Babangida, regarded as his best friend and beneficiary, was still in office. Babangida annulled the presidential election results believed to have been won by Abiola. The struggle to reinstate the election results crystallized into the June 12 struggle on the Nigeria’s political calendar as the day the election was annulled in 1993. For 30 years, there have been calls from politicians aligned with Abiola have campaigned ceaselessly for Abiola to be declared a former president and for June 12 to be Democracy Day against May 29 that President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared Democracy Day in the country. But the calls had fallen into the deaf ears of people in authority.
Now, Buhari is struggling for reelection in the face of of bitter opposition from Obasanjo, a former military president and two term civilian president, calling to arms to ensure Buhari does not get reelected for a second term. Buhari knew the strategy used by the former general in his own favor to unseat his predecessor, and that the same strategy of mass defection of politicians - especially from the South West, from the ruling party to a new party, might be used against his reelection.
Therefore, using an award to Abiola and the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day to deal with the opposition from Obasanjo and his supporters become expedient. Abiola’s supporters who think there is altruism in Buhari’s action having heard him that the award and declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day are all he has in store for them will have to rethink whether they have been politically swindled, realizing that Buhari’s act is toward winning reelection and that his act is not without a gain in return for his gesture.
June 12 was the day election that Abiola believed to have won was annulled. A posthumous award is bestowed on Abiola by President Muhammed Buhari, Nigeria’s current leader.
Many Nigerians have asked whether Buhari’s honor to Abiola is not a Greek gift, aimed at catching votes in the next presidential election, when Buhari will be seeking reelection.
However, majority of Abiola’s followers seem to be confused about Buhari’s intention, because according to them the recognition accorded Abiola and June 12 as Democracy Day in the country is long overdue. They have asked Buhari to go a step further to recognize Abiola as a former president, and pay his emoluments to surviving members of his family.
Femi Falana, a Nigerian prominent lawyer, said that Buhari’s honor of Abiola represents a recognition of Abiola as a former president, based on news reports. But on Tuesday, Buhari may have disappointed Falana and others, who could not see the real Buhari’s intention for giving Abiola an award and declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, with Buhari's apology to Nigerians about annulment of the 1993 election, and that he has no intention of making Abiola a former president.
Buhari has acted as a politician, but with a bit of truth in his action. He has shown that politicians are not just like actors, but that they are the real actors. It is generally believed among observers that politicians can hardly do anything that will not result into votes in their favor. Therefore, politicians are regarded as vote hunters, and that whatever politicians do must have ulterior motive get votes for election or reelection. Curious political observers believe that election or reelection is like a lifeline to politicians and that politicians will do anything to get elected or reelected. And there can be nothing bad giving recognition to an otherwise political enemy, if the recognition will result in massive votes.
In other words, it is about discussion of altruism and politics as strange bed fellows. It is the thought that has crowds the minds of curious observers as Nigerians match toward the next presidential election of 2019, and President Buhari has awarded a posthumous award to MKO Abiola, basically to use it to remove the apparent barrier between him and reelection.
In 1983, Muhammed became Nigeria’s military head of state through a coup, and he was unseated through another coup in 1985. The 1985 coup was reportedly bankrolled by Abiola. The 1985 coup kicked Muhammed out of office, when General Ibrahim Babangida was installed as Nigeria’s first military president.
Ironically, Abiola contested a presidential election in 1993, when Babangida, regarded as his best friend and beneficiary, was still in office. Babangida annulled the presidential election results believed to have been won by Abiola. The struggle to reinstate the election results crystallized into the June 12 struggle on the Nigeria’s political calendar as the day the election was annulled in 1993. For 30 years, there have been calls from politicians aligned with Abiola have campaigned ceaselessly for Abiola to be declared a former president and for June 12 to be Democracy Day against May 29 that President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared Democracy Day in the country. But the calls had fallen into the deaf ears of people in authority.
Now, Buhari is struggling for reelection in the face of of bitter opposition from Obasanjo, a former military president and two term civilian president, calling to arms to ensure Buhari does not get reelected for a second term. Buhari knew the strategy used by the former general in his own favor to unseat his predecessor, and that the same strategy of mass defection of politicians - especially from the South West, from the ruling party to a new party, might be used against his reelection.
Therefore, using an award to Abiola and the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day to deal with the opposition from Obasanjo and his supporters become expedient. Abiola’s supporters who think there is altruism in Buhari’s action having heard him that the award and declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day are all he has in store for them will have to rethink whether they have been politically swindled, realizing that Buhari’s act is toward winning reelection and that his act is not without a gain in return for his gesture.
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