Rejecting Power From 1999 Military Was A Mistake – Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani has stated that the worst error made by Nigerian democracy enthusiasts was rejecting the military’s demand to take over power in 1999.

The former legislator, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, made the statement during a panel discussion at the This Nigeria Lecture and Award event in Abuja on Thursday, June 27.

The theme of the event was “25 Years of Unbroken Democracy – Challenges, Prospects, and Possibilities.”

Senator Sani described the arrest of numerous democracy fighters before to the demise of previous military leader Sani Abacha, which resulted in their release.

He said that General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who followed Abacha, urged democratic campaigners to take over power, but they refused to work with the military, which he now considers a crucial error.

He said: “Abdulsalami Abubakar invited all of us who fought for democracy; he said he was going to hand over power to a democratic government and wanted all of us freedom fighters to come together and take over power.

“At that time, Gani opposed it. Three times he invited us, but we refused to answer his call. He invited the politicians, who didn’t even wait for an invitation; they were knocking at his door.”

He bemoaned how their reluctance allowed politicians to dominate the political environment by the time they decided to interact with the military.

Sani compared Nigerian democracy fighters to the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, noting that, unlike the ANC, which seized political power following their struggle, Nigerian democracy fighters squandered a critical opportunity in 1998 and 1999.

“After we decided to listen to him, we sat down to discuss what to do. The ANC in South Africa took over political power after their struggle, but we made a fundamental mistake by refusing to cooperate with the military.

“Mike Ozekhome, Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, and Olisa Agbakoba all opposed joining. It was Bola Tinubu who argued that if we didn’t get involved, others would take over.

“By the time we agreed to join politics, politicians had already occupied all positions,” Sani said.

He emphasised the subsequent difficulties faced by democracy fighters in obtaining political positions, stating that prominent figures such as Mike Ozekhome, Olisa Agbakoba, Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, and himself were unable to achieve their political goals because the political space had been taken over by others.

He added: “Then by the time we all agreed to join the politics, politicians had taken over all posts. Mike Ozekhome tried to be governor of Edo State, he couldn’t, Olisa tried to be president he couldn’t, Gani tried to be president he couldn’t, Falana tried to be governor of his state he couldn’t, I tried to be governor of Kaduna State I couldn’t because the space were all taken over.”

Other dignitaries who attended the ceremony included Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Mike Ozekhome (SAN); and Abiodun Adeniyi, among others.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli