June 12: Atiku Took Part In Rotational Presidency Deal — Akume

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was among political leaders who agreed to the adoption of rotational presidency in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Akume made the clarification on Tuesday during a World Press Conference in Abuja, held as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day anniversary.

He said the annulment of the June 12 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll and won by the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, forced political actors to take decisions aimed at preserving national unity and stabilising the democratic process.

According to him, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met in Kaduna under the leadership of the late Chief Solomon Lar and Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, where issues around power rotation and zoning of the presidential ticket were extensively discussed.

“It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed on. At the end, we had to concede. We must do this. June 12 annulment had complicated the whole thing. It was finally agreed that we’ll be alternating between North and South,” Akume said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Yomi Odunuga.

“Atiku was one of the leaders at that meeting, which was convened by Chief Solomon Lar. He was part of that agreement,” he added.

The SGF explained that the decision to alternate power between the North and South was aimed at addressing the political tensions that followed the annulment and promoting inclusiveness and national cohesion.

Reflecting on June 12, Akume described the annulment as a painful setback to Nigeria’s democratic journey, noting that the election outcome clearly reflected the will of the people.

“Abiola won that election round and square. That election was annulled by the military government. It was very painful because the people spoke and they spoke freely,” he said.

He stressed that one of the key lessons from June 12 is the supremacy of the people’s will in any democracy, adding that Nigeria has since strengthened its electoral system to prevent a repeat of such an incident.

“The voice of the people must always be supreme; it must be sacrosanct. That’s the beauty of democracy. We prefer the ballot to bullets,” he said.

Akume expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the country has learned from past mistakes.

He urged political actors to respect electoral outcomes and continue to strengthen democratic values, noting that 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule reflects Nigeria’s commitment to democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law.