What we went through agitating for return to democracy — Supo Shonibare

Chief Supo Shonibare is among the leaders of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) as chieftain of the pan Yoruba sociopolitical organisation Afenifere, that led the revalidation of June 12 election’s agitations. He speaks with KUNLE ODEREMI on some trying moments of the campaign and other issues.

AS a leading figure in the June 12, how would you recount your experience?                       

The struggle to sustain democratic culture and achieve one of the most free and fair elections in our country was a long and arduous journey. My involvement began in 1989 when Alhaji Balarabe Musa and a few others announced the formation of the Peoples Liberation Party (PLP). Shortly after, Alhaji Balarabe Musa was detained by the State Security Services, and I took on the role of solicitor to arrange a legal challenge to his incarceration. I must acknowledge the courageous efforts of Justice Hunponu Wusu, who issued an order to halt the tribunal’s judgment for the transition to civil rule, presided over by Justice Anyaegbunam.

 During this time, the military government’s manipulations established a two-party system, leading us in the PLP to naturally align with the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Chief MKO Abiola approached the PLP members within the SDP for support, adopting a populist agenda. He also met with the leaders of Afenifere in Owo, where he agreed to implement similar populist principles. Following the endorsement of MKO by my two constituencies, I became a fervent supporter of his cause.

 However, when the election was annulled, it was initially the SDP that confronted the military junta. Unfortunately, that resolve diminished as Chief Abiola’s running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, and many others, including our esteemed leader, Alhaji LK Jakande, aligned themselves with the Abacha regime. The attempt to weaken the ranks of those advocating for the actualization of the June 12 mandate took a perilous turn when the Abacha junta resorted to extrajudicial killings to maintain its grip on power.

It is disheartening to witness Mrs Maryam Abacha recently claiming that her husband did not steal public funds. The evidence against him is overwhelming. Those involved in that criminal enterprise, intent on sustaining a kleptomaniac in power, will face judgment on this earth. It is only in Nigeria that a figure like her would have the audacity to appear in public, wielding power through her husband, a soldier of fortune.

At what stage did it become most intense and frightening and why?

The experience of agitating for democracy through the actualisation of Chief MKO Abiola’s June 12 mandate was gruelling. Numerous pro-democracy groups emerged during this time, and some of us attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to unite them under a single umbrella. I was actively involved in three such groups. I was a member of NADECO through Afenifere and also part of the Movement for Unity and Progress (MUP), led by Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Ambassador Jolly Tanko Yusuf. Other notable members of MUP included Dr. Bala Usman, Aliyu Umar Esq., Chief James Aluko (one of those associated with the Action Group Party of Chief Obafemi Awolowo treasonable felony charges), and Mr. J.O. Yusuf. Additionally, Colonels Abubakar Umar, Yohanna Madaki, Dr. Iyoshen Ortese, Rev. (Prof.) I.S. Audu, and Alhaji Mohammed Tambawal Arzika were also part of this movement.

 Another pro-democracy group I joined was the United Action for Democracy, initially led by Mr. Olisa Agbakoba and later by Mrs  Ayo Obe. This group was primarily composed of younger individuals who had never participated in partisan politics, and its leaders were often drawn from the pioneering civil society organisation in Nigeria, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO).

 Participating in these groups was a fearless endeavour, but it came with risks. The most dangerous moment occurred when a political attaché from one of the top Western embassies warned me that Mrs Ayo Obe and I were being monitored. Despite this, I remained relatively unperturbed and did not share this information with my wife or Mrs Obe. However, I did convince Mrs Obe to leave her flat and move into a safe house, although she would occasionally emerge to grant interviews.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: June 12: The Abacha people are now legislators, ministers — Adeniyi Akintola, SAN

 Unlike the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, those of us who fought for the emergence of civil rule were unable to establish the democratic culture we envisioned. Instead, we have witnessed a civilian rule characterized by civilians emulating military tactics through the manipulation of elections.                 

The involvement of MUP was critical in impeaching the narrative of the military junta that the agitation for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate was limited to the Southwest, particularly after many politicians from other zones had abandoned to agitation. It was usual to read the justification in abandoning the mandate to the need to “move on.” For some of us intent on standing by that mandate, it was dishonourable to “ move on” by embracing what was clearly an affront to our collective will by soldiers of fortune.