Politics and Nationalism II - June 12 and the Modern Era
Mọ́ṣọ́ọ̀d Abíọ́lá and the annulled election of 12 June 1993, Ernest Ṣónẹ́kan, Bọ́lá Ìgè, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́, Bọ́lá Tinúbú and the Afẹ́nifẹ́re tradition.
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Mọ́ṣọ́ọ̀d Abíọ́lá and the annulled election of 12 June 1993, Ernest Ṣónẹ́kan, Bọ́lá Ìgè, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́, Bọ́lá Tinúbú and the Afẹ́nifẹ́re tradition.
The Yorùbá wey dem quote, the proverbs, oríkì, ẹsẹ Ifá, word list headwords, Odù names and citations dey exactly as the corpus record dem, for every language.
The cancellation of the presidential election of 12 June 1993 na the main political event for modern Yoruba memory. One Yoruba Muslim businessman win national election across every region and both religions, the military cancel the result, and e come die for detention five years later. The mass movement wey follow after, wey be say na Yoruba people mostly lead am, bring the transition of 1999, and every Yoruba political figure for the last thirty years get how their position take connect to that event. This file cover Abíọ́la, the interim head of state Ernest Ṣónẹ́kan, the Attorney General wey dem assassinate Bọ́lá Ìgè, the two Yoruba presidents Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ and Bọ́lá Tinúbú, and Afẹ́nifẹ́re as the institutional carrier of the Awólọ́wọ̀ tradition.
Two of the people here still dey alive and dey active for politics. This file state wetin dey public record, mention disputes where dem dey for public record, and e no take side.
Na Abíọ́lá be the only Nigerian wey win presidential election wey both domestic and international observers judge say dey free, but e never enter office.
Dem born am on 24 August 1937 for Abẹ́òkúta . Dem born am into poverty, as the twenty-third child of im papa and the first of im papa children to survive infancy, wey be the origin of the name Kaṣìmawò, "make we wait and see", name wey dem give for family wey don bury their children . E hustle pay im way through school, go University of Glasgow go study accountancy, and come back to career wey carry am reach vice-presidency for Africa and the Middle East for ITT Corporation, where e manage their Nigerian subsidiary . From that base, e build the Concord Group, wey include the National Concord newspapers, airline, farms and shipping line, and come turn one of the richest men for Africa.
Im public profile before 1993 stand on three things. E be heavy philanthropist, wey fund schools, mosques, churches, libraries and hospitals across Nigeria, and e gather documented one hundred and ninety-seven traditional chieftaincy titles from communities across the country, number wey nobody match and wey form the material basis for im cross-regional appeal . E fund sport, especially football and the African Cup of Nations. And from the mid-1980s, na im be the leading international advocate for African reparations for slavery, as e chair the Organisation of African Unity Group of Eminent Persons on reparations. The reparations campaign na the part of im career wey people least remember for Nigeria and wey people most remember for other parts of the Black world.
Abíọ́lá stand as candidate of the Social Democratic Party for the presidential election of 12 June 1993, wey dem hold under the transition programme of military president Ibrahim Babangida, against Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. Based on unofficial tallies, e win decisively and, wetin dey very important, e win across the country, as e win im opponent home state Kano and carry both northern and southern states. Im running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe, na northern Muslim, wey make am Muslim-Muslim ticket wey still win Christian areas comfortably. Dem generally regard the election as the freest for Nigerian history .
Before dem fully release the results, the Babangida government cancel the election . Dem never give any proper official explanation. Babangida don talk publicly since then say na forces wey Sani Abacha lead carry out the annulment without im approval, claim wey other people wey dey there that time challenge and wey most of the pro-democracy movement no accept . Whatever the internal mechanics be, the government wey cancel the election na Babangida government and na im be the head.
Babangida step down on 26 August 1993, hand over to unelected Interim National Government. Abacha comot that government on 17 November 1993 and take power directly .
On 11 June 1994, wey be the first anniversary of the election, Abíọ́lá declare imself President of Nigeria for Epetedo for Lagos and go into hiding. Dem arrest am on 23 June 1994 and charge am with treason . E remain for detention, mostly inside solitary confinement, for four years, as e refuse offers of release conditional on renouncing im mandate.
Im wife Kudirat Abíọ́lá take over the public campaign for im release and come turn the most visible opponent of the Abacha government. Dem shoot am die inside her car for Lagos on 4 June 1996 . Dem also shoot her driver wey die later . Dem later prosecute members of Abacha security apparatus in connection with the killing.
The Abacha years push the opposition go abroad and underground. The National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, wey dem form for May 1994, na im be the main umbrella of the pro-democracy movement, wey Yoruba people lead mostly, and e operate under heavy assassination and detention. Radio Kudirat, wey dem name after Kudirat Abíọ́lá, broadcast enter Nigeria from outside .
Abacha die on 8 June 1998. Abíọ́lá die for custody on 7 July 1998, on the day wey one American delegation visit, officially of heart failure . People dey dispute the circumstances and dem never independently establish am. Im death comot the constitutional problem wey im survival for cause for the incoming transition.
The transition of 1999, na military under Abdulsalami Abubakar carry am out and e bring out Yoruba president, Ọbásanjọ́, for wetin plenty people see as compensation give the West for June 12. Dem no recognise Abíọ́lá imself for federal level for twenty years. On 6 June 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari give am the posthumous honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, the honour wey dey reserved for presidents, and move Nigeria Democracy Day from 29 May go 12 June . Dem give the award without formal declaration say e win the election, wey still remain the main issue wey never settle.
Ṣónẹ́kan hold di position wey Abíọ́lá win, for eighty-three days, and na im be di Nigerian head of state wey spend di shortest time for office.
Dem bon am for Lagos on 9 May 1936 and e study law for University of London, later e go attend Harvard Business School programme . E join United Africa Company of Nigeria and become dia chairman and managing director for 1980, dey run wetin dem describe dat time as di biggest company wey Africans dey control for sub-Saharan Africa .
Babangida appoint am as head of di Transitional Council and head of government on 2 January 1993, and on 26 August 1993, afta di annulment and Babangida comot, e become Head of di Interim National Government . Di government no get electoral mandate, face general strike and high inflation, and Lagos High Court declare am illegal for November 1993. Abacha comot am on 17 November 1993 inside palace coup .
E go back to business and public advocacy, co-found di Nigerian Economic Summit Group for 1993, and e dey regularly gather elder statesmen initiatives afta dat time . E die on 11 January 2022. People opinion about am divide well-well: some people dey see am as competent technocrat wey take impossible work to make sure civilian face dey for di state, while odas dey see say e legitimise di annulment bikos e gree stay di office at all.
Bọ́lá Ìgè na di sitting Attorney General of the Federation wen dem assassinate am, di most senior Nigerian official wey dem don eva murder for office during peace time, and dem neva solve di case till today.
Dem bon am on 13 September 1930 for Ẹsà Òkè for wetin be Ọ̀ṣun State now . E attend Ìbàdàn Grammar School, get degree for University College Ìbàdàn, study law for University College London and dem call am to bar for Inner Temple for 1961 . E found di firm Bọ́lá Ìgè and Co. for 1961 and become Senior Advocate of Nigeria .
E be Federal Commissioner for Agriculture from 1967 go reach 1970, and Governor of Ọ̀yọ́ State from 1979 go reach 1983 under Awólọ́wọ̀'s Unity Party of Nigeria, wey be direct inheritor of Action Group tradition . Under Abacha e be leading figure for pro-democracy opposition and founding figure of Afẹ́nifẹ́re for im modern form, dey serve as im deputy leader. For di Fourth Republic e serve for Ọbásanjọ́'s cabinet as Minister of Mines and Power from 1999 go reach 2000 and aftawards as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from 2000 .
Dem know am as Cicero of Ẹsà Òkè bikos of di way e dey talk well for English and Yoruba, and e dey among di last front-rank Nigerian politicians wey campaign mostly for Yoruba language.
Dem shoot am kpai for im Ìbàdàn house on 23 December 2001 . Di killing happen against di backdrop of violent factional conflict inside Ọ̀ṣun State politics. Dem charge several suspects; but dem acquit all of dem, di last one by November 2010 . Dem no convict anybody. Di fact say dem neva solve di case dey stand as clear reality for Nigerian political life.
Ọbásanjọ́ na di only Nigerian wey don lead di country twice, one time as military head of state and one time as elected president, and na di only military ruler for Nigerian history wey give power voluntarily to elected civilian.
Dem bon am on 5 March 1937 for Ìbógun-Ọláògùn near Abẹ́òkúta into farming family of di Owu branch of Yoruba . E enlist for Nigerian Army for 1958, serve with United Nations force for Congo, and during di civil war e command di Third Marine Commando Division, receive di Biafran surrender for January 1970 . E be Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing and aftawards Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, under Murtala Muhammed.
Wen dem assassinate Murtala for February 1976 Ọbásanjọ́ become military Head of State . E continue Murtala programme, expand universal primary education, supervise di drafting of di 1979 constitution, nationalise BP Nigerian holdings, and host FESTAC '77, di second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, for Lagos. On 1 October 1979 e hand over power to Shehu Shagari wey win election and retire go do farming for Ọ̀tà .
Afta e comot office e become prominent international figure, dey serve for Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group on South Africa and e write several books . For 1995 Abacha government charge am say e hide information about coup plot; dem lock am for prison from 1995 until Abacha die for 1998 . Im deputy from 1970s, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, die for detention inside di same case.
Dem elect am as President for 1999 and e serve two terms go reach 2007 . Wetin e do include di negotiation of big external debt relief for 2005 and 2006, di creation of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, telecoms liberalisation and di GSM licensing wey transform Nigerian communications, plus solid institutional reforms wey continue. E still include di military operations for Odi for 1999 and Zaki Biam for 2001, wey kill plenti civilians, and di attempt for 2006 to amend di constitution make e allow third presidential term, wey National Assembly defeat. E deny say na im personally drive di third term effort; people wey participate dat time talk anoda thing, and di mata still dey bring argument.
Since 2007 e don dey continuously criticise successive Nigerian governments publicly, including di ones wey e help win election, and e dey serve as international mediator for African conflicts.
Tinúbú na di sitting President of Nigeria and di most institutionally influential Yoruba politician for di Fourth Republic, as e don build di political machine wey produce two presidencies including im own.
E talk say na 29 March 1952 dem born am for Lagos . E get degree for accounting from Chicago State University for 1979, work for United States, come return go Nigeria go take senior finance role for Mobil Producing Nigeria .
E enter politics through Social Democratic Party and dem elect am as Senator for Lagos West for 1992, where e serve as chair for Senate committee on banking and currency, until military scatter National Assembly for November 1993 . E be one of di founding members of NADECO, run go exile for 1994 come return for 1998 .
E serve as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 go reach 2007 . Di Lagos record wey matter pass na di money matter: im administration rebuild di internally generated revenue base of di state, carry Lagos commot from relying on federal allocation put am for level where di money wey di state dey generate by itself fit fund capital programme, and e drag federal government go court win dem on top say dem hold local government allocation. Dat revenue base na di foundation of everything wey Lagos don do since dat time, and na im be di main thing wey im record stand on.
After e commot for office, e build and hold di political structure together wey make Action Congress of Nigeria merge with other opposition parties for 2013 form All Progressives Congress, wey beat sitting president for 2015 for di first time for Nigeria history . E contest for president for 2023, dem declare am winner with 8,794,726 votes, wey be 36.6 per cent of all di votes wey dem cast, against Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, and dem swear am in on 29 May 2023 . Di two main opponents challenge di result for court, but Presidential Election Petition Court and Supreme Court uphold am.
Di first policy actions wey e take na di removal of petrol subsidy wey e announce during im inauguration and di floating of naira for June 2023, wey both of dem make cost of living jump high well well and na dem be di main argument about im presidency .
Some parts of im record before 1999, including im school matter and early work history plus im age, don face court cases and press investigation for Nigeria and United States, and one 1993 civil forfeiture of 460,000 dollars for United States court matter wey concern bank accounts na something wey dey documented for court record . Dem no bring criminal charge against am for dat matter. Dem mention all dis things here because dem be part of verifiable public record; dis corpus no draw any conclusion from dem.
Afẹ́nifẹ́re na di socio-political association wey dey carry di Awólọ́wọ̀ tradition. Di name na Yoruba word wey mean roughly "di person wey want good thing for everybody", from a fẹ́ ni fẹ́ ẹrẹ, wey dem explain as "we desire that which is good", and na im be di original slogan of Action Group .
Di line start from Ẹgbẹ́ Ọmọ Odùduwà, wey dem form for 1945 as cultural body, move go Action Group for 1951 as di political vehicle, go Unity Party of Nigeria for 1978, go Afẹ́nifẹ́re as di association wey hold di network together during military years, go reach Alliance for Democracy wey carry di Afẹ́nifẹ́re agenda do im platform for 1998 . Di main leaders don include Abraham Adésànyà as leader with Bọ́lá Ìgè as deputy, then Reuben Fasoranti, then Ayọ̀ Adébánjọ̀, alongside Olú Falae and Bisi Akande .
Di permanent programme wey dem dey stand on na federalism: to share power give di constituent units, make state or region dey control resources and police, and make constitutional order recognise Nigeria nationalities. Na Awólọ́wọ̀'s argument from 1947 be dat, wey dem talk again.
Di group scatter after di 2003 elections, wey Alliance for Democracy lose every western state except one. Different factions hold separate conventions; dem form Afẹ́nifẹ́re Renewal Group for 2008; and by di 2010s di Yoruba political establishment don substantially reorganize around Tinúbú structures instead of around Afẹ́nifẹ́re, while di older body still get influence as voice on restructuring and critic from di traditionalist wing . Di authority wey e get now na moral and rhetorical instead of electoral, and di division open clear, as different factions dey endorse different candidates for recent elections.
Even so, di tradition wey e dey carry na di single most coherent political ideology wey any region for Nigeria don produce: welfarist for domestic policy, federalist for constitutional design, and e stand on di belief say na education be di main instrument of development. Whether na universal programme or na Yoruba interest wey dem express in universal terms na di exact argument wey don dey run since 1951.
Di earliest documented structures of Yoruba political governance trace back to ancient Ifẹ̀ between di eleventh and fourteenth centuries, where sacred monarchy balance power through town councils of titled elders . For di seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, di expansion of Ọ̀yọ́ Empire transform dis regional political landscape through one centralized imperial system wey di Aláàfin and di Ọ̀yọ́ Mèsì council dey control . Di collapse of Ọ̀yọ́ for di 1830s and di nineteenth-century Yoruba civil wars wey follow restructure power around militarized city-states like Ìbàdàn and Abẹ́òkúta, wey open new ways for non-hereditary political leadership .
Christian missionary contact from di 1840s bring Western literacy, English-language print journalism, and administrative training, wey produce literate elite wey reshape political advocacy . Under British colonial rule wey dem formally establish after 1893, indirect rule change traditional chieftaincy dynamics, while western-educated professionals form nationalist associations like Ẹgbẹ́ Ọmọ Odùduwà for 1945 to fight for regional autonomy . After Nigeria independence for 1960, Yoruba political actors navigate deep regional divisions, federal party coalitions, and repeated military coups .
Di cancel wey dem cancel di 12 June 1993 presidential election ginger wide pro-democracy movement wey fight against military dictatorship throughout di 1990s . Today, modern Yoruba politics dey operate inside Nigeria Fourth Republic, wey competitive electoral coalitions, non-stop debate about constitutional restructuring and fiscal federalism, and active diaspora civic networks across North America and Europe dey shape, as dem dey gather international support and fund development for di region .
Herbert Macaulay, Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀, Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá and Adégòkè Adélabú, the men who built Nigerian party politics out of Lagos and the Western Region between 1923 and 1966.
Cultural nationalism and the African church movement, the Abẹ́òkúta women's revolt, Awólọ́wọ̀ and the Western Region, the Yoruba in the Nigerian federation, and the present revival of interest in traditional knowledge.
The most powerful women in nineteenth-century Yorubaland, both of them large-scale slave traders, one killed by the ruler she had armed and the other exiled by a British consul, and the political office that made their power constitutional.
A method note explaining what kind of evidence exists for Yoruba figures from the earliest traditions to 1900, why the oldest names cannot be treated as documented biography, and how this section marks the difference.
The figure at the root of Yoruba dynastic claims, the several incompatible traditions about who or what Òdùduwà was, the conflict with Ọbàtálá at Ilé-Ifẹ̀, and what archaeology and historians can and cannot establish.
The figure credited in tradition with founding both Ọ̀yọ́ and the second Benin dynasty, what the traditions say, where they conflict, and why the stone monolith bearing his name cannot date him.