June 12, Abiola’s death shaped my belief in democracy — Showunmi

File: PDP Chieftain, Segun Showunmi

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Segun Showunmi, has reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s unity and democratic development.

Showunmi, the convener of The Alternative Movement insisted that his sacrifices during the struggle for democracy cannot be dismissed or misrepresented.

In a statement on Thursday reflecting on the death of the late businessman and politician, Moshood Abiola, he said the loss of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election had left an enduring emotional scar on him.

He said the circumstances surrounding Abiola’s death and the struggle to actualise the June 12 mandate had profoundly shaped his political convictions and understanding of Nigeria’s democratic journey.

The PDP chieftain added that he would neither trivialise Abiola’s sacrifice nor allow his own comments to be distorted or taken out of context.

Clarifying his position on the country’s political situation, Showunmi warned that political actors should not take actions capable of plunging the country into chaos, particularly by threatening to release unverified election results.

He said: “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.”

Showunmi also declared that his commitment to Nigeria transcended ethnic considerations, rejecting any suggestion that he was advancing the interests of one ethnic group over others.

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He urged those whom he identified as Yoruba activists to understand his statements within the context of his commitment to national unity, stressing that he would not subordinate that conviction to ethnic sentiment or sectional interests.

Showunmi paid tribute to Abiola, describing his memory as inseparable from Nigeria’s democratic struggle, and prayed that his sacrifice would continue to inspire the country towards a more stable and just political order.

He also reiterated his long-held position that Nigeria should adopt a power-sharing arrangement that allows political power to rotate between the northern and southern parts of the country.

According to him, a predictable and mutually respected understanding of power rotation could help reduce political suspicion, strengthen national cohesion and sustain democratic development.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

The Ogun politician further disclosed that he would, in the future, speak more extensively about his contributions to the pro-democracy struggle and how the events surrounding Abiola influenced his political journey.

He also acknowledged the role played by media entrepreneur and politician, Dele Momodu, in that chapter of Nigeria’s history, saying his contribution deserved recognition.

Showunmi warned against interpreting his restraint as ignorance of history or his commitment to national unity as a lack of personal conviction.

He maintained that those familiar with the sacrifices and political consequences associated with Abiola’s death should not dismiss his experiences or misrepresent his understanding of the events.

“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,” he said.