By correspondents in Minna/Lokoja.
Prof. Jerry Gana, former Minister of Information and National Orientation, says the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was a tragic mistake that was not supposed to have happened.
Gana said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Nigeria’s democracy; the journey so far.
He said that the former military president, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, meant well by organizing the election but some powerful forces made him annul it to suit their selfish interests.
“It was a tragic mistake, it should not have happened but since it happened may God help us to get out of it,” he said.
The former minister said that the election was a period Nigerians united against evil forces but along the line, the people that never meant well for Nigeria had their way.
He averred that democracy was better than any other form of government across the globe.
“Therefore, we must stay with democracy to better Nigeria, because it delivers freedom, human rights, and a good number of other things,” he said.
Gana said that all Nigerians needed to thank God for keeping the people and the country together especially, from 1999 to 2023 because the nation’s democracy had had many challenges.
“What happened since all these years destroyed other countries when it happened there but we are still living together as a people,” he said.
He said that many institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others had been put in place to ensure good governance, fairness, justice, and equity.
“It is not yet an Uhuru, we are not there yet although a lot of progress has been made.
“Right now the right of people to vote and their votes be counted is there, so our democracy is being refined,” he said.
The former minister said that the country had recorded huge success in its electoral reform from inception to date.
“The recent Electoral Act (reform) is a huge success recorded for democracy in Nigeria.
“Now the elections are free, fair, and accountable,” he said.
Gana said that the country’s economy improved to the extent that it became one of the best economies in Africa.
“If our crude oil, solid minerals, and agricultural potentials are harnessed well Nigeria will rule the world,” he said.
Gana also said that the communication sector had improved tremendously.
“I remember when we came on board in 1999/2000 we had less than half a million lines of telephone across Nigeria.
“But right now we have about 84 million lines, that means that there is a great revolution in the sector,” he said.
He, however, blamed INEC for the current electoral challenges where many election results were being challenged in the court for alleged electoral manipulations.
“Recently, INEC has not been fair to Nigerians in conducting national elections.
“Therefore we have a long way to go in our democracy if we allow this ugly development to continue.
“We have indeed introduced a lot of modern technology to improve our electoral system but these technologies are not being respected today by INEC.
“To me, it is a major disappointment that INEC was not fair enough to give us the leaders of our choice,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the country would perfect its democracy soon.
“‘After going through the current democratic process, I hope that the next one will be better,” he said.
Similarly, Prof. Mohammed Kuta-Yahaya, a former Secretary to Niger Government, described June 12, 1993, presidential election as a moment of political history when Nigerians expressed satisfaction for democracy because they were tired of continuous military dictatorship.
He said that it was unfortunate that the then Supreme Military Council under the leadership of Babangida annulled it for whatever reason.
“Whatever made the military annual June 12 presidential election, it did not go down well with the people of the country because that was when they demonstrated to the whole world that they are one people that believe in democracy.
“This is part of why former President Muhammadu Buhari recognized June 12 as democracy day in Nigeria, although the date was changed.
“It was a day Nigerians came out en masse and freely voted for the leader of their choice irrespective of cultural and religious affiliations,” he said.
The former Secretary to the State Government called for caution in the country’s electoral system to end political events such as June 12 to improve the electoral process.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to recruit competent hands into his cabinet to ensure unity, progress, and security of the country.
Kuta-Yahaya, a lecturer at the University of Ibadan enjoined the country’s leaders to make education their priority to empower the people and make them better persons in the society.
“Quality education will bring about rapid socio-economic advancements because it will make the people self-reliant.
“If you make education your first charge, you are going to cause a revolution that will outlive you as a leader to better the people and the country.
“If you don’t educate the people especially, the youth to become good citizens they will turn to terrorise you the leader tomorrow.
“As far as I am concerned, education is the bedrock of any meaningful society,” he said.
He advised leaders in the country to retrace their steps to the ideals of" our founding fathers" when Nigerians coexisted peacefully towards national development.
Gana is a Nigerian scholar, politician, and one-time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1983.
He was also, the Director, of Mass Mobilisation for Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) under Babangida’s regime.
Gana was the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Interim National Government of the late Ernest Shonekan.
NAN also reports that Kuta is a Nigerian academic, writer, and Professor of Agricultural and Forestry, at the University of Ibadan.
He served as Secretary to Niger Government under Governor Babangida Aliyu and was also a commissioner for information and agriculture in the state.
In neighboring Kogi state, residents of Lokoja, the state capital who spoke with the correspondent of The Reporters on the issue, described the annulment as a turning point in the course of entrenching an enduring democracy in the country.
A Legal practitioner, Mr. Titus Adebisi, said," It was a big political miscalculation by the Babangida-led military government to annul the 1993 presidential election.
By all standards, the 1993 presidential election was adjudged to be the freest and most fair and credible in the history of elections in Nigeria, but for the reason best known to the government of that time, it was annulled."
He, however, thanked God that the crisis generated by the event did not lead to the break up of the country, adding that Nigeria had been able to maintain democratic governance for the past 24 years.
The legal practitioner commended the immediate past president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12, a public holiday in recognition of the event in the political and electioneering history of the country.
He paid glowing tribute to all those who lost their lives in the June 12 crisis and called on the Tinubu to immortalize the name of"these patriotic Nigerians".
The Reporters/with agency report.
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