By Monday July 6 1993 was the day that commenced the indefinite protest called out by the Campaign for Democracy (CD), a coalition of pro-democracy forces across the country to demonstrate our collective displeasure over the reckless and the most irresponsible annulment of the freest and fairest election in the annals of Nigerian history.
It was a serene Monday morning and the entire atmosphere looked set for a colourful and fun-filled protest laced with songs and a lot of razzmatazz. I was at the Onipanu -Palmgroove axis on this fateful day where I served as an Area Commander.
Then suddenly came the military from nowhere. Followed with gunshots and ensuing commotion. The last I saw was looking eye to eye with death as one of the soldiers aimed his gun straight at me and before I could decipher the diameter of the barrel, he pulled the trigger of the notorious AK47 in his coldblooded hands. Then a bang, then I passed out as something cold whizzed past my ears.
By the time I opened my eyes, coming back from the land of the dead, Ismaila Alaketu, a street neighbor, hitherto standing besides me, bubbling with vigour and energy was down in the pool of his own blood, his skull wide open gushing out the tissues of his brain. It was the most gory sight I ever witnessed in my entire life. Several other bodies littered the area in similar circumstances.
Of course this was just the beginning . Worse scenarios were later to play out in days and months that followed just because a man stood for election legitimately organised by a sitting government and won fair and square.
Much more heartbreaking that even the winner and his activist wife, Bashorun MKO Abiola and his beautiful wife, Kudirat were equally killed in the course of the struggle.
Two principal characters among others, were at the center of this evil that had continued to haunt this nation since then. Because as you know, you cannot build a super-structure without a structure. Our democratic structure was June 12 and not until we address it properly, Nigeria will continue to grope in the dark.
Adieu MKO Abiola
Adieu Kudirat Abiola,
Adieu all those compatriots who laid down their lives for June 12………
May your gentle and innocent souls continue to rest in perfect peace.
Garbadeeen Olabode is a Commissioner of Local Government Commission, Lagos State. He writes from Lagos.
