By Okey Muogbo
The history of the hectic struggles for the return of Democracy in Nigeria in 1999 will certainly not be complete without the mention of the undeniable contributions of Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the late first elected civilian Governor of Anambra state. As friends and colleagues make final arrangements to bury the Okwadike of Igbo Ukwu (Anambra State), we look into one of the aspects of Dr Ezeife’s patriotic roles in the fight to dislodge soldiers from power in 1999.
One of the tenacious groups, intact the most tenacious, that played a key role in forcing the military to hand over power to elected civilians was the national Democratic Coalition (NADECO). The Coalition made it almost impossible for the junta to govern Nigeria after the soldiers annulled the June 12 presidential election which the Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s Presidential Candidate, Chief M. K. O. Abiola won.
While a few group of people or a section of this country is erroneously seen today to have been the only driving force behind the fight for return of Democracy in Nigeria in 1999, the truth is that it was NADECO, conceived as true Nationwide movement made up Nigerians from all parts of the country that battled the military boys out of power.. Ezeife was one of them.
Former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, gave an insight into the circumstances surrounding the birth of the NADECO that served as catalyst for the struggle over the annulled June 12, 1993 election that culminated in Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999.
In his Book entitled “Battle lines: Adventures in Power,” the seasoned administrator and journalist narrated how, when he and other eminent citizens, at the risk of their lives, mobilised to defend the sanctity of Abiola’s mandate.
In the Book, Osoba recalled: “As we mobilised against the regime, there were several formal and informal groups formed by people working for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate. I was in a small group with Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chief John Oyegun and Dr Doyin Okupe.
“The major organisation that emerged in this period which helped to shape the anti-military and pro-democracy movement was the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). NADECO was roughly a product of another organisation which existed before the June 12 crisis.
“Eventually, 49 people representing … organisations signed the document establishing NADECO….”
“The founding 49 signatories to NADECO were: Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Mallam Lawal Dambazzau, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Major General Adeyinka Adebayo (retd.), Chief Bola Ige, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Professor Anya O. Anya, Colonel Yohanna Madaki, Reverend Father Moses Adasu, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Reverend Tunji Adebiyi, Chief Ade Ojo, Chief Ralph Obioha, Chief Empire Kanu, Chief Michael Anyiam, Dr. Sola Soile, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo, Chief E. Duru, Mr. Nick Dazzang, Mr. Labaran Maku, Dr A. A. Akingba, Mr Babas Eko Oyekanmi, Mr Alex Ayatolla, Mrs Sarah Jubril, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, Mr O. P. Edodo, Mr A. Barber, Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Alhaji Mohammed Siraj Hamza, Dr. Wahab Dosunmu, Otunba Aboyade Cole, Major General Olufemi Olutoye (rtd), Chief Sobo Sowemimo, Dr. Steve Achema, Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Olu Falae, Brigadier-General Jonah Jang, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Mr. Alao Aka-Bashorun, Mr. Emmanuel Njiwah, Chief Vincent Nwizugbo and Dr. Uma Eleazu.
Dr Ezeife’s names is conspicuous in that list. When General Sani Abacha, then Head of State could no longer tolerate the relentless anti-military campaigns, he bared his fangs against members of the Coalition. Many of them, including incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu went into exile.
But the most courageous of the NADECO members remained in Nigeria daring the junta to do their worst. One of those who refused to ‘japa’ was Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife. The military, like soldiers they were, actually did their worst and visited their wrath on the likes of Ezeife. Okwadike’s businesses were marked out and comprehensively ruined by the military Federal Government.
This was in an attempt to force Dr Ezeife to abandon the NADECO struggles but he would not budge.
Courtesy of the ‘blood’ of the likes of Ezeife, the soldiers were forced to hand over power civilians on October, 29, 1999.
With the emergence of Tinubu as the President of Nigeria today, it is clear and indisputable that NADECO is in power now at the Federal level. It has been long and torturous ride to victory and power.
As a matter of fact, one of the NADECO foot soldiers in the 90s, Olive Udeh, an English-trained lawyer and businessman strongly believes that the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria was a reward for NADECO, June 12 struggles.
Udeh who was said to have been on many occasions brutalised by the ruthless military boys while protesting against the military junta, insists that a nation or society that fails to appreciate individual sacrifices will never progress.
“What happened in the February 25th (2023) presidential election was nothing but reward for courage. It was a reward for steadfastness. It was a reward for not giving up. It was a reward for perseverance. Even the late sage, Rt. Hon. Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe said that it is only a madman that can challenge somebody with a gun”, Udeh asserted.
He went further to reveal that “as a NADECO foot soldier then, on many occasions, I was brutalised. On my skull, now I have two scars which were a result of a military gun butt.
“As young men then, we were burning tyres on the road while protesting and soldiers rounded us up and shot some of us. What saved me was because the soldier that came to me first hit the butt of his gun on my head and blood began to flow like water so others thought that I was already shot and would be dead soon.
“Therefore, I see the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was one of our leaders as a reward for the struggle,” he stated.
Haven established the central roles of both NADECO and Dr Ezeife in the struggle for Democracy in Nigeria, the next critical question is: Has Nigeria and Democracy been fair enough to Okwadike? The answer is an obvious No, not even with NADECO in power now. But if Dr Ezeife was not well treated while alive, here is one last chance for his NADECO comrades to make amends. They should join hands to give him a befitting national burial as Okwadike is committed to mother earth on the 19th of April, 2024.
