If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is serious about honoring the legacy of June 12, there is only one path forward: order every security agency at the federal, state, and local levels to release their files on the struggle to the public. Only then will Nigerians know the full truth about the heroes, heroines, and villains of that pivotal moment in history.
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola was no saint, nor was he a radical. He was a stubborn fighter, a man with the guts to demand the presidential mandate Nigerians gave him. That demand—for recognition, respect, and justice—was the bedrock of the June 12 struggle. It exposed hypocrites who called themselves progressives, patriots, and democrats, revealing a nation captured by ethnic bigotry, religious chauvinism, kleptocracy, and fascism.
June 12 also signaled the death of the First Independence Movement, a relic that had outlived its usefulness. It called for a Second Independence Movement, one that would put the masses first.
It is deeply ironic that it took the All Progressives Congress, a party built on lies, kleptocracy, and violence, to officially declare June 12 as Democracy Day. The same party now led by Tinubu, an administration that is anti-democracy, obedient to the IMF and World Bank, hostile to national interests, and merciless toward the masses. They have belittled and bastardized the essence of June 12, honoring moles and villains while ignoring true heroes.
Abiola was a frontline hero, known long before any government declaration. He was subjected to Nazi-style surveillance, illegally arrested in 1994, and held in solitary confinement for four years. He was tortured, denied medical care, and his family harassed. His businesses were liquidated by the Abacha junta. He died in 1998 after sipping tea served by officials of the Abdulsalami Abubakar regime, in circumstances that remain suspicious.
But the list of heroes is long. Bagauda Kaltho, a fearless journalist, vanished in Kaduna, reportedly murdered by Abacha’s assassins. Chief Alfred Rewane was shot dead in his bedroom for financing the struggle. Kudirat Abiola, Abiola’s wife, was ambushed and killed in 1996. She never received a national award. Others like Bisoye Tejuoso, Suliat Adedeji, and Sergeant Patrick Usipeko died in prison. Dozens of pro-democracy protesters were shot dead in Lagos in 1993.
Lawyers like Gani Fawehinmi, activists like Beko Ransome-Kuti, and journalists like Dapo Olorunyomi and Chris Anyanwu were arrested and detained for reporting the truth. In Edo and Delta, Jonathan Ihonde led marches. In Ibadan, Laoye Sanda and others were shot at. In the South-East, Arthur Nwankwo and Chukwuemeka Ezeife led the charge. In Plateau, Chris Abashi and others mobilized. In Kaduna, Kano, and Maiduguri, countless others fought.
These are the real heroes and heroines of June 12, whether the government recognizes them or not. If Tinubu wants justice, he must release the files. Only then will the nation know the full story.
