People power from Babangida to Yar'Adua

Tolu Ogunlesi

January 22, 2010 12:45AM

 

The Save Nigeria Group is only the latest in a series of Nigerian activist platforms keeping alive a tradition of sustained opposition in the face of bad governance. In the last two weeks, the group has scheduled protest marches ("Enough is Enough rallies") in Abuja, London, Johannesburg, Sydney and Lagos. Founded in 2009, one of the missions of the Save Nigeria Group, is "to force the National Assembly to resolve the constitutional logjam created by the disappearance of Nigeria's sickly 'president' Umaru Yar'Adua [60] days ago ostensibly for medical reasons." Prominent amongst its conveners are religious clerics and civil rights activists.

The civil society first blossomed in Nigeria during the Babangida era [1985-93].

At the forefront of the opposition to the military President's economic policies were human rights, labour and student organisations like Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO; established 1987), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Constitutional Rights Project (CRP; established 1990) and the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR; established 1989).

The June 12 factor

The annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections by General Ibrahim Babangida radically animated the country's pro-democracy groups. Not less than forty pro-democracy groups coalesced into the Campaign for Democracy (CD), led by Beko Ransome Kuti. The CD would prove to be the source of potent opposition to the Babangida government.

As soon as it became clear that Sani Abacha was unwilling to usher democracy in, human rights groups and democracy activists realised that they needed to take the battle a step further. And so, on May 15, 1994, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was formed, as an umbrella body of activists opposed to the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha. Around this time, elections were held to select candidates for a constitutional conference planned for 1995 by the Abacha government. NADECO's goal was to ensure that the Government of MKO Abiola, elected on June 12, 1993, was sworn into office. It would eventually become the most prominent opposition group of the Abacha era.

Nigeria's petroleum industry unions, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) were also active in the anti-Abacha battle. In June 1994, they embarked on strikes that paralysed the sector. The Nigerian Labour Congress also joined the strike. The government responded with violence, jailing the executives, dissolving the Union leaderships, and replacing them with military sole administrators.

A sustained clampdown on NADECO (which drove many of its leaders into exile) led to the formation, a year later, of the National Liberation Council of Nigeria (NALICON). NALICON was based outside the country, and in June 1996 it established a guerilla radio station, initially called Freedom Frequency [FF] which was based in Lagos, but was eventually named after Kudirat Abiola, the slain wife of jailed politician MKO Abiola. In London there was the New Nigeria Forum.

There was also the US-based Free Nigeria Movement, which launched a radio station, Voice of Free Nigeria, in 1997. The North American chapter of Yoruba socio-cultural group, Egbe Omo Yoruba founded a short-wave radio station,

Ijinle Ohun Oodua.

On April 28, 1998, the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON) was formed as collaboration between all of Nigeria's pro-democracy and human rights groups "to give impetus and verve to the national struggle to restore democracy through collaborative efforts of all our people." JACON demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners, and called for an end to the dictatorship. It also asked for the formation of a Government of National Unity, which would then conduct a Sovereign National Conference.

Another product of the Abacha era was the G34, a group of prominent Nigerians from across the country. Formed in 1997, it soon became the arrowhead of opposition to the Abacha dictatorship. When Abacha died in June 1998 and his successor, Abubakar instituted a transition programme, the G34 was one of the groups that went on to transmute into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

During the Obasanjo era, the leading opposition group was the Nigeria Labour Congress, under the leadership of Adams Oshiomhole, now Executive Governor of Edo State.

His unwavering opposition to Obasanjo's fuel price increases earned him the sobriquet "Peoples General." Alongside the NLC were the Pro-National Conference Organisations (PRONACO), a coalition founded in December 2004 (and led by Anthony Enahoro) to lobby for a Sovereign National Conference. Also in 2004, the Citizens Forum (CF) was founded by veteran opposition figures like Wole Soyinka and Balarabe Musa.

 

source:http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5515657-147/people_power_from_babangida_to_yaradua.csp

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