June 12: Actualizing the Military’s Illusion of Democracy.

Happy Democracy Day People!!!

Yeah for me June 12th is the original democracy Day, it was the most political tension filled day in the History of Nigeria every year from 1993–1998 and then we just acted as though blood wasn’t split on that day annually. We had our heroes who spoke out against the Military Junta from both Home and Abroad and some from within the walls of Dodan Barracks and Kirikiri prison, good men came together to form the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). You may ask me, how do you who must have been a kid remember the times of the Junta? Well the answer is that when your Birthday is on the 12th of June and you cannot successfully host a Birthday party, as a child you build resentment against the causative agent that annually interrupts your ‘Turn Up’.
Growing up an only child for 6 years prior to my sibling arriving and stealing my shine,i was a weird child who loved to read newspapers and it wasn’t because of the cartoons “NO!” it was because i wanted to really understand what was going on, why was my favorite Uncle who was also a Politician absent from the Country. My mother said he was on ‘Self-Exile’ and although she didn’t expatiate, i got myself a dictionary and deciphered the meaning. I remember thinking to myself that i needed to join the militia that would stand up against the Junta rule. In 1995, with all the violence in Benin City and after my mom and i had fallen off bikes a couple of times to escape protests and pinned a lot of leaves on our car when driving out to show solidarity to the cause and avoid being lynched.
I mean i had witnessed so many protests and riots that i could even sing some of the gyration songs by heart.  You can imagine my father's shock hearing his 5 year old son singing “Shonekan is a goat yooo, a goat yooo, Shonekan is a goat yooo EwuHausa!” and gyrating to the song, my Dad demanded that we move to his station Minna, Niger State which was quite a docile place and was considered safe because the last Head of State who had caused all the chaos going on had retired to his uphill mansion. I know only few persons have had the privilege to see the Uphill Mansion, lets just say that the Masses money was used judiciously to protect our number one irritant factor, same mansion which a few months ago a cacophony of private jets assaulted the quiet town of Minna in a gathering to update the strategy of the puppeteers and grand scheme illusionist who recycle same performance over and over again and like a great illusionist he keeps the secret to the trick close to his chest.

Fast forward to 8th June 1998, i was in my ‘grumpy birthday flop’ mode as per usual in Minna, Niger State, i had been praying that God kill the enemies to my birthday success, there was no light and i was outside playing on the veranda when a neighbor comes in and excitedly asks for my Dad, i go inside and fetch him. They speak in hushed tone and then the neighbor hurries out to keep spreading the news, my Dad gathers us all into the Master bedroom; myself, my mum,himself and the baby Seater, then he breaks the news to Us, the reign of the Junta was over, his dream to become a civilian supreme leader had been toppled by an “Apple” i make a note to myself to avoid Apples (my excuse for not using Apple gadgets) from then as it had made man fall in the Garden of Eden and also now the almighty Junta. We hear that a new Head of State had taken over, one that was said to be more compassionate and open minded and also an indigene of Niger State. The new Head of State requested for all the Exiled to return and come join hands in building the Nation to become a Democracy. Nigeria was going to be on a path of progress, i got to see my favorite Uncle again on the Television on his return from Exile, we heard rumors that our June 12th hero and rightful president of Nigeria was going to take over the reins of power. I celebrated, not because i understood the implication but because now with Democracy on board which my teacher had defined as “Government of the People,by the People and for the People” i believed i could now have my birthday party next June 12th. Although that also didn’t happen, thanks to preparation for my common entrance exam.

Now, fast forward a month down our new promise of “Eldorado” and we hear that the Winner of the freest and fairest election in Nigeria who was gearing up to come out of Jail and run for his office died under complicated and  unexplained circumstances in Kirikiri prison. Even as a child I was sad, MKO had run on the platform of HOPE 93' but at the last mile even his Hope was dashed. 

Rest in Peace MKO Abiola!!! 

Now Democratic elections were held and the recycling process of military dictators in Civilian cloth began, Alas the dream of the Junta had become a reality. The military still controls the country from the shadows but yet in plain sight, they figured out a way to give us the version of Democracy they believed we deserved and not the version we actually merit.
So all you youths in the North, West, East and South agitating for a split in of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, here is my own two cents “United we stand, Divided we fall” if we can concentrate our forces on eradicating the direct and indirect influence of these dictators turned politicians in the piloting of our Nation we are simply going to remain in a state of Insanity.

"Insanity doing something over and over expecting different results"
-Albert Einstein