One of the prodemocracy activists during the military era, Barrister Olive Udeh, has said the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria is a reward for the National Democratic Coalition’s (NADECO) June 12 struggles.
NADECO had fought to actualise the mandate of MKO Abiola following his victory in the June 12, 1993 presidential election and return the country to democratic rule after the election was annulled by the military junta.
Udeh, a NADECO activist and lawyer who was said to have been several times brutalised while protesting against the military junta, said a nation that fails to appreciate individual sacrifices would never progress.
He said in an interview: “When Tinubu was fighting for democracy in the 90s, Nigerians were hailing him as a hero. Nobody questioned his academic records. His age, who his parents were or his birth place – nobody said ‘let us see your credentials to know whether you are qualified to be part of the struggle for democracy’.
“In South Africa, Nelson Mandela was acknowledged for the pivotal role he played for freedom, fairness and equality in South Africa. It doesn’t really mean that Mandela did not have his own demons but he was and continues to be respected, even worshipped for the price he paid for a new South African to emerge.
“Martin Luther king was a legend because he gave his all for the struggle for equality in America. He equally has some negative aspects of him in his lifetime. Then why is it that Nigerians don’t want to give Bola Tinubu his due?”
