My good people of Kogi State,
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the triumph of democracy in our country. This day 30 years ago Nigerians from all backgrounds defied all divisive cleavages and spoke in one voice to endorse democracy. It was a day that we became one people despite of our differences of ethnicity, class, ideology and religious persuasions.
On that day our people across the nation, North, East, West and South overwhelmingly voted for Late Chief MKO Abiola. ironically the Presidential Candidate of our great party, this same SDP. The rejection of identity politics by our people was so loud that even in Kano, the home state of his only challenger, Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), the people’s preferred candidate Chief Abiola won overwhelming.
The military was to end the euphoria of this epoch development only a few days later and imposed themselves on our country for another six years.
But democracy was an idea that had manifested. Thus for those six years Nigerians gave them no peace even when Abiola, the custodian of the mandate, was incarcerated and later died in custody.
Brave Nigerians stood up to be counted. Many were hunted down and killed including Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane and several other martyrs. May the soul of these martyrs rest in peace. (Amen). Several other protestors were killed. Human Rights activists and journalists simply disappeared into thin air in the course of the struggle.
But at the end of it all June 12 was an albatross that haunted the military with all their might and arsenal, in 1999 they had no option than to abdicate and return Nigerians to the path already chosen on June 13, 1993.
Today is particularly historic in the sense that for the first time since that struggle raged and ended the frontline leader of the heroes who refused to be intimidated or cowed from pursing the restoration of the sacred mandate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Asiwaju triumphed over several debilitating odds by the same anti democratic forces to arrive at this fulfilling destination today. His greatest weapon was that he remained true and faithful to the ideals of June 12. He remained resolute, brave and never lost focus of the need to maintain our unity in diversity and the pursuit of justice.
My good people of Kogi State, it is imperative that as Nigerians we must inculcate the lessons of June 12 just like Mr President did for us to succeed and reach our goals as a nation. The goal of justice, the goal of economic stability, the goals of security and justice, the goal of unity and progress and many more of our aspirations as a people.
Today history beckons on us as Kogites. June 12 is a Clarion Call for the unity of our people irrespective , political persuasions, ethnicity, religious dichotomy or ideology. We have a duty to come together as a people to rescue our state from the precipice.
We must be brave despite intimidation and state sponsored violence and all manners of unconstitutional devices to cow us. Those who sacrificed their comforts and even lives for us to enjoy democracy today knew that there is no gain without pain.
Our own struggle has been made easy by the heroes and martyrs of June 12. We don’t have to confront anyone who deploys violence anymore. Rather we must confront them with our votes. By so doing we are certain to return our land to the path of justice and the rule of law.
As the flag bearer of the SDP, the same party which led our nation to democracy and liberty 30 years ago I offered to be your servant in the pursuit of these same ideals in our dear state.
Once more I salute the heroes of the struggles that liberated us from dictatorship and repression and oppression. I salute all Nigerians who United against the forces of division to make an everlasting statement that ultimately culminated in our freedom on this day in our history.
May Democracy forever triumph in our land.
Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka
Kogi State Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
