The scar in my heart from the loss of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola has not fully healed. His death and the circumstances surrounding the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate left an indelible mark on my life. I have therefore neither anything to prove about my sacrifices for Nigeria nor any reason to pretend that I do not understand the cost of the democratic journey we have travelled.
I will neither make light of MKO Abiola’s grave sacrifice nor allow anyone to distort my words or misrepresent my intentions.
Let me restate what I said. None of the contestants, particularly those threatening to release unverified election results in circumstances that could plunge the country into chaos, should be encouraged to take any action that could bring them into conflict with the law or endanger our national stability.
I invoked the events of 1992 to illustrate how political situations can spiral out of control when caution, restraint and respect for the law are abandoned. Students of history understand the point I was making. I stand by that argument. My intervention was a warning about consequences, not an invitation to recklessness, and I will not permit reactionary forces to turn my counsel into something it was never intended to be.
There is an ancient Yoruba saying that captures this sentiment:
“Tí mo bá gbà ẹ ní àmọ̀ràn mi, kò fẹ́ kó gbọ́; nítorí tí kò bá gbọ́, báwo ni màá ṣe jẹ́ ìfààrà rẹ̀, tí wá fi gbà mí ní ọlọ́gbọ́n?”
Loosely interpreted, it means: Sometimes, when I give you advice, you refuse to listen. But when the consequences arrive, you will remember that I warned you, and that will be the proof of my wisdom.
My duty is to offer counsel in the interest of our country. Whether people choose to heed it is another matter.
I must also state, unequivocally, that I am a Pan-Nigerian through and through. I have no interest in promoting the idea that one ethnic group is superior to another. My commitment is to Nigeria and to the collective dignity, security and prosperity of all Nigerians.
Those who describe themselves as Yoruba activists should take particular note. My words and actions must be understood within the framework of my commitment to the Nigerian nation. I will not subordinate that commitment to ethnic sentiment, sectional advantage or the politics of exclusion.
To Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Omo Aja Dudu Ile Ido, tí kò gbọ́dọ̀ buni jẹ́ . A son whose memory remains inseparable from our democratic struggle.
Orun ire o!
May your supreme sacrifice continue to guide Nigeria towards a more stable, just and enduring democracy. May the promise for which you paid such a terrible price never be betrayed.
I have long expressed the view that Nigeria should manage political power through a pendulum arrangement between the Northern and Southern parts of the country. In my considered opinion, a predictable and mutually respected understanding of power rotation offers a framework for reducing suspicion, strengthening national cohesion and sustaining our democratic journey. It is a position I hold in the interest of a country that must learn to manage its diversity with maturity.
One day, God willing, I will speak more fully about my own contributions to the struggle for democracy. I will explain how the critical events surrounding MKO Abiola shaped my thinking and redirected my political journey, setting in motion a chain of events whose consequences have continued to unfold.
I must also acknowledge Dele Momodu. May God spare his life. He played a key and pivotal role in that chapter of our history, and his contribution deserves to be remembered.
Finally, let nobody mistake my restraint for ignorance of history or my commitment to national unity for an absence of personal conviction. Those who have benefited most from the sacrifices and political consequences of MKO Abiola’s death cannot simply dismiss my experience or tell me what I know to be false about the journey we have travelled.
My commitment is to Nigeria. My loyalty is to the democratic ideal. My respect for MKO Abiola’s sacrifice is enduring. And my conviction that Nigeria must survive, mature and prosper remains unshaken.
May God bless Nigeria and all who genuinely labour for her progress.
Otunba Segun Showunmi
The Alternative.
