A Civil Right Group in Osun, Osun June 12 Movement in conjunction with the Oni Centre, Osogbo on Monday said the election of June 12, 1993 gave Nigerians the political power and courage to reject military dictatorship.
The Director of the centre, ComradWale Adebisi made this remark in Osogbo while giving a text on the lessons and gains of June 12 election, to celebrate the commemoration of the day.
“We must remember that the historical significance of June 12 we are commemorating today lies in the Power of citizen’s action which was demonstrated on that day by voters across the country who trooped out en masse to the polling booths to end military dictatorship.
“This exercise of people’s power was given further and stronger expression with the unrelenting resistance put up by popular forces against the annulment of the results of that election by the Babangida led dictatorship.
“The Shonekan led Interim contraption met a similar fate in the hands of our people who actively demonstrated their hostility on the streets and through other forms of political action.
“General Abacha’s bestiality was unable to break the resolve of determined sections of of our people who responded with a low intensity Warfare till the end.
“This year’s commemoration offers all lovers of democracy in our land a golden opportunity to reflect deeply on the state of the country with particular focus on the clear danger to our democratic existence as well as peaceful and progressive co-existence.
“We have in recent times been hearing of rumours of dark plots by certain anti -democratic forces against a dispensation that many advocates of genuine democracy correctly view as more civil than Democratic in content and practice.
“We call on citizens of Nigeria at home and abroad to put on our thinking caps and begin to act as subjects of history rather than objects who are always at the receiving end of a manipulating ruling elite.
“It is therefore our historic duty to scrupulously and jealously guard it against any and all conspiratorial schemers that may want to drag Us back to a barbarous past.” he said