Popular human rights activist, Comrade Moshood Erubami has said that President Muhammadu Buhari was ‘forced’ to declare June 12 as the country’s democracy day.
He said, “It will not be right to honour Chief MKO Abiola as the hero of June 12, 1993 struggle without appreciating the events that led to it. The present President did not declare June 12 as democracy day willingly; he did it as a product of the struggle that we waged for June 12 actualization.
The elder statesman made these submissions while featuring on a weekly radio show, Parrot Xtra/Ayekooto on Radio’ anchored by Olayinka Agboola and broadcast live on Splash 105.5FM, Felele Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State on Tuesday.
He said further, “It is disheartening that they denied a lawful winner the opportunity of ruling the nation. I want people to know that the June 12 spirit is still alive. It is the principles of the actualization of June 12 that can put an end to religious bigotry, bad governance, killings, poverty.
“That ‘Hope’ slogan has eluded many Nigerians and it is until poverty, killings, maladministration are over -that is when the principles behind Nigeria’s democracy will be actualized.
Comrade Erubami further revealed that he was schemed out of his party’s House of Representative primary election through fraudulent process, while criticizing political parties in the country for organizing ‘sham’ party primaries that is inimical to the growth of democracy in the country.
He said, “I was fraudulently denied the ticket; you know Nigerians love a hardworking and visionary leader and there is no way a person will contest election in Nigeria without participating in politics. It is only the person appointed by the party that is eligible to stand as the party’s flag bearer”.
The social crusader further lampooned political parties for putting obstacles in the path of young Nigerians politicians who are interested in contesting for elective posts by overpricing the forms to be obtained before participating in parties’ primary elections.
He said, “One of the problems confronting us in this nation is the non-interest of tested, trustworthy Nigerians who are unwilling to participate in politics because they believe it is dirty. The youths regard themselves as leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of tomorrow do not even understand how to govern the leaders of today. Government enacted a bill called Not too Young to Rule, but they put a stumbling block on the paths of the youths”.
Continuing, he said “act of politics is beyond being a party member, people want distinguished Nigerians but they are scarce to find in politics. The stinking dirty environment of politics cannot be swept from outside, people must go in to participate in the process.
“The art of politicking should not be left in the hands of mafias. There are cabals in every party, formerly they were called Kaduna mafias; they took over when President Muhammadu Buhari fell sick. They have exploited the space to manipulate the political process”.
He, however, enjoined young Nigerian professionals not to leave the act of politicking to fraudulent and aged politicians who have nothing good to offer the electorate.
When asked of his reaction if he is opportune to meet past Nigerian leaders, “I will tell General Ibrahim Babangida that he is the architect of imposition and corruption in Nigeria while I will accuse General Olusegun Obasanjo as the cause of the present failure Nigeria is experiencing. For Goodluck Jonathan, he is a lucky man and he has been an accidental ruler since his active days in politics”.
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