3views
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has disclosed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was among the political leaders who supported the adoption of rotational presidency in Nigeria following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Akume made the revelation on Tuesday while addressing journalists at a World Press Conference in Abuja as part of activities commemorating Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day anniversary.
According to a statement issued by his media aide, Yomi Odunuga, the SGF said the annulment of the June 12 election, widely believed to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola, compelled political stakeholders to make difficult decisions aimed at preserving national unity and safeguarding the country’s democratic future.
Recalling deliberations among leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a meeting in Kaduna, Akume said the issue of power rotation generated intense debate before consensus was eventually reached.
“It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed on. At the end, we had to concede. We must do this,” Akume said.
He added, “June 12 annulment had complicated the whole thing. It was finally agreed that we’ll be alternating between North and South. Atiku was one of the leaders at that meeting, which was convened by Chief Solomon Lar. He was part of that agreement.”
The SGF explained that the arrangement to rotate presidential power between the North and South was intended to address the political fallout from the annulled election while promoting inclusiveness and national cohesion.
Akume’s remarks come against the backdrop of growing political discussions over zoning and power rotation ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, is expected to challenge incumbent President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in office.
Tinubu, a southerner, assumed office in 2023 after the completion of the constitutionally permitted two-term tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.
The former vice president has faced criticism from political opponents and the Presidency over his continued presidential ambitions at a time when some stakeholders argue that political consensus favours the retention of power in the South.
Speaking on the significance of June 12, Akume described the annulment of the election as one of the most painful moments in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Abiola won that election round and square. That election was annulled by the military government. It was very painful because the people spoke, and they spoke freely. They made their own choice,” he stated.
According to him, one of the enduring lessons from the June 12 experience is the need to uphold the will of the electorate in any democratic setting.
“The first lesson is that the voice of the people must always be supreme; it must be sacrosanct. That’s the beauty of democracy. We prefer the ballot to bullets,” he said.
Akume expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that the country had learned valuable lessons from the events of 1993.
“If an election is conducted very fairly, and one wins, no problem. The actors at the Independent National Electoral Commission are not young people; they were adults when this thing happened,” he said.
He added that Nigerians overwhelmingly rejected the annulment of the June 12 election and stressed that such an occurrence should never happen again.
“Fortunately for us, those at INEC are men and women of honour and integrity. They are well-read, patriotic Nigerians, and they are determined to make a difference. Never again would such happen in this country,” Akume stated.
The SGF urged political actors to embrace democratic values, respect electoral outcomes and continue working towards strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Highlighting the gains of democratic governance, he pointed to freedom of expression as one of the system’s defining features.
“It is under a democratic system that you can insult your president and insult anybody and still go to bed, and you don’t receive a midnight knock on your door. Try it under a totalitarian regime,” he said.
Akume maintained that Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted democratic rule reflected the nation’s commitment to the rule of law, peaceful political participation and the protection of fundamental freedoms.
“We have decided to embrace democracy. That is why, for 27 unbroken years, we have been enjoying this freedom in a democratic setting. We love the values and the morals of democracy, and there is no system that is as beautiful as democracy,” he added.
add a comment
