June 12: Nigeria's yearly charade of celebrating a flawed 'democratic' system, by Olu Fasan

President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to declare June 12 as Nigeria's "Democracy Day" was driven by self-serving politics rather than a principled conviction, as he had never publicly condemned the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election before becoming president in 2015.

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However, in 2018, as Buhari prepared to seek re-election and faced dwindling popularity in the South-West, he changed the annual "Democracy Day" from May 29 to June 12 to gain favor with the region, which had turned the annulment into an ethnic issue, a move that Professor Wole Soyinka described as taken "with an eye on electoral fortunes, undoubtedly."

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The so-called pro-democracy politicians were equally opportunistic, with many of those claiming to be democrats today, including those in the ruling APC, having secretly colluded with General Ibrahim Babangida, who annulled the election, and having ties with General Sani Abacha, whom Babangida accused of instigating the annulment.

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Prior to Abacha's death on June 8, 1998, five political parties, comprising today's "democrats," endorsed him as the sole presidential candidate in April 1998, referring to him as Nigeria's "saviour."

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Last week, President Bola Tinubu, the main beneficiary of the June 12 annulment, conferred national honors on about 35 individuals who, according to him, "suffered persecution, endured indignities, exile, incarceration, and, at times, solitary confinement, so that we have democracy today."

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This move came after Tinubu gave national honors to about 32 people last year, describing them as "those who have made sacrifices in the past, braving all the odds and guns to ensure we have a regime of democracy in our country," but the list was widely criticized for excluding many "June 12 activists."

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This year's list is an attempt by Tinubu to rectify last year's omission, although it still excludes those who are not in his favor, including vocal critics who some argue should be recognized.

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Notably, in his three years in power, President Tinubu has conferred national honors predominantly on the so-called June 12 activists, with nearly 90 percent of the national honors he has conferred since coming to power in May 2023 going to those linked to agitations against the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

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This implies that the "June 12/pro-democracy activists" are more deserving of national recognition than other Nigerians, such as teachers, doctors, and individuals working in various fields, who are typically honored in countries with an honors system like the UK.

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The reasoning behind prioritizing "June 12/pro-democracy activists" for national honors is that their "sacrifices" led to the democracy Nigeria has today, as Tinubu has repeatedly stated, but this claim is intellectually dishonest.

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It was actually providence, not June 12 activism, that ushered in civil rule in 1999, as General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded Abacha as head of state, stated in his autobiography, Call of Duty, that Abacha died of a heart attack, not poisoning.

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June 12 agitations did not trigger the end of Abacha's tyranny; instead, it was his death that led to the transition, and ordinary Nigerians who endured Abacha's regime until providence intervened deserve credit.

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However, it is the "June 12/pro-democracy activists" who are receiving national honors for "ensuring Nigeria has democracy," and they need to display humility in acknowledging their role.

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Assuming the "June 12/pro-democracy activists" did contribute to Nigeria's democracy, what kind of democracy does the country have today, and what have the activists done to promote democratic development since 1999?

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Sadly, the answer is hardly anything positive, as the approach to gaining power has been based on a "grab it, snatch it, and run with it" philosophy, with the commandeering of the electoral body, judiciary, and security agencies to thwart the will of the people in elections.

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The ruling party and the president are working to hollow out and destroy opposition parties, turning Nigeria into an electoral autocracy where multi-party elections are meaningless due to a distorted playing field and unfair advantages for the incumbent.

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Even journalists who were fierce and intrepid during the June 12/pro-democracy era are now defending and rationalizing today's anti-democratic practices because their preferred party is in power.

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In 2023, General Babangida lamented that the "gains" of the June 12, 1993, presidential election were "squandered" in subsequent elections, stating that politicians have ignored the principles of credible elections, a sentiment that is remarkably honest coming from the person who annulled a free and fair election.

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Nigeria has never had a true electoral democracy since June 12, 1993, with virtually all presidential elections since then being massively manipulated, and the 2023 poll was uniquely flawed due to the failure to use technological safeguards like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal.

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The introduction of these technologies was meant to ensure the transparency and credibility of the 2023 general election, but their non-use, coupled with the judiciary's endorsement of the actions, destroyed the legitimacy of the presidential election and eroded confidence in future polls.

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Some people are hailing "Nigeria's 27 years of unbroken democracy," but true democracy is not just the absence of military rule, as a civil rule can lack essential democratic elements like the rule of law, independent judiciary, and free and fair elections.

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According to the United Nations, critical pillars of democracy include the rule of law, independent judiciary, independent electoral body, free and fair elections, control over abuse of power, transparency and accountability in public administration, political pluralism, separation of powers, and effective parliamentary oversight.

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Nigeria's civil rule lacks these elements, making it a sham democracy, as confirmed by international bodies like the International IDEA's Global State of Democracy, which highlights the lack of electoral integrity in Nigeria, and the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, which classifies Nigeria as a "hybrid regime."

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A recent poll by NOIPolls found that 72 percent of Nigerians are dissatisfied with democratic rule in the country, providing conclusive evidence that Nigeria is not a true democracy.

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The annual celebration of "Democracy Day" is therefore an empty ritual, a charade that ignores the country's democratic shortcomings and lack of progress towards true democracy.