Buhari and the june 12 saga by reuben abati

A very timely and relevant topic!

The June 12 saga refers to the annulment of the 1993 presidential election won by Moshood Abiola, a Nigerian businessman and politician, by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida. The annulment led to widespread protests and unrest across the country.

Reuben Abati, a Nigerian journalist and former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan, wrote an article in 2018 titled "Buhari and the June 12 Saga" in which he analyzed the significance of June 12 and President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to declare it a national holiday.

Here's a summary of the article:

Abati begins by highlighting the significance of June 12, 1993, as a turning point in Nigerian history. He notes that the election, which was won by Abiola, was a rare moment of democratic expression in a country that had been ruled by military dictators for decades. The annulment of the election by General Babangida's government led to widespread protests and a sense of disillusionment among Nigerians.

Abati then turns his attention to President Buhari's decision to declare June 12 a national holiday. He notes that the move was seen by many as a belated recognition of the significance of the date and a gesture of goodwill towards the Abiola family and the people of Nigeria.

However, Abati also notes that the decision was not without controversy. He argues that the timing of the declaration was suspicious, coming as it did just a few months before the 2019 presidential election. He suggests that the move may have been an attempt by Buhari to curry favor with the people of Nigeria and to distract from his government's many failures.

Abati also criticizes Buhari for not going far enough in recognizing the significance of June 12. He notes that the president's decision to declare the holiday did not include any concrete measures to address the underlying issues that led to the annulment of the election in the first place.

In conclusion, Abati's article is a thought-provoking analysis of the June 12 saga and its significance in Nigerian history. He raises important questions about the motivations behind Buhari's decision to declare the holiday and the need for concrete actions to address the underlying issues that led to the annulment of the election.

Here's the full article:

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/buhari-and-the-june-12-saga-by-reuben-abati/