It is now clear that democracy has come to stay In Nigeria but the memory of the June 12 1993 Presidential election which was said to have been won by the late Business tycoon Basorun Moshood kasimowo Abiola cannot be wished away or erased in the political history of Nigeria.
This was the stand of Dr. Ezekiel Oyebola Oyemomi in his democracy day message to the people of Nigeria and Osun State in particular.
According to Dr. Oyemomi, June 12 and the arrow head of the day Basorun MKO Abiola should not be wished away because the date and the man symbolize the ongoing democracy which the entire country is now enjoying.
Oyemomi who is aspiring to rule Osun State in the coming Governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) believed that if Abiola’s presidential election was not truncated by the Military Junta of Former Military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the struggle which led to the sustenance of the present democratic system could not have taken place and Nigeria won’t find herself where she is today.
Dr. Oyemomi who said that he would never forget the June 12 struggle and all those connected with it argued that late Abiola no doubt paid a big price for our democracy whether we are celebrating it on May 29 or June 12.
He said that because of the importance of the date and the man behind it, that was why the South West still retains June 12 as a special date to commemorate it and immortalize the man M K O Abiola.
He pointed out that if not political consideration, selfishness and personal ego of s some of the political leaders in the country, the country would have been celebrating democracy day on the same day.
According to him, celebrating democracy day, in Nigeria was an indication that democracy has come to stay and that, whoever intends to truncate it would regret because the entire country and even the whole world would stand against such person or group of people.
He said that one good thing for Nigeria is that it has completely moved away from dictatorship and all the heroes of the present political dispensation would forever be remembered for the roles they played that made it sustainable.
Oyemobi also took the opportunity to remember, the late Afenifere and Yoruba leader, PA Abraham Adesanya, Pa Alfred Rewani, Kudrat Abiola and other still living who fought assiduously that Nigeria is where she is today democratically.
He also used the democracy day to pay tributes to the founding fathers of the Country’s Independence with their strong fight against the colonial masters, saying that it was the foundation that the likes of Hebert Macaulay, Nboni Ojike, Dr. Nnamdi Azikuwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano, Tafawa Balewa and the Sadauna of Sokoto Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, Dr. Michael Opara and others built that the country is now following.
According to him, the present day politicians should emulate the virtues of the founding fathers that played politics without bitterness.
He pointed out that despite their differences they still relate together and sometimes ‘’no one knows the difference between them despite their different political affiliations.
Dr. Oyemomi also reiterated his dislike for money politics, saying that for any democracy to strive, money politics and thuggry would have to be de-emphasized.
This he argued would give room for party supremacy. ‘’If there is no major sponsor of the party and members are made to contribute for the day to day up keep of the party, money would not play important factor in the selection of candidates for different political offices.
It is sad that today, the supremacy of the party has been relegated to the background and what I would want now is for politicians to respect their party and not to think that because they have money to display at the expense of the other members of the party, what they say or laid down should be obeyed’’
Dr. Oyemomi said that as a man who respects the rule of law, he would not in any way go against the decision of the party or dominate the entire party if he becomes the governor of Osun state. ‘’Honestly the only way that we can sustain the ongoing democracy is to make sure that we all respect the rules and regulations of the party’’
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