Full Text of Inaugural Address of
President MKO Abiola as Delivered
on June 11, 1994 at Epetedo, Lagos
People of Nigeria, exactly one year
ago, you turned out in your millions
to vote for me, Chief M.K.O. Abiola,
as the President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. But politicians in
uniform, who call themselves soldiers
but are more devious than any
civilian would want to be, deprived
you of your God-given right to be
ruled by the President you had
yourselves elected.
These soldier-politicians introduced
into our body politic, a concept
hitherto unknown to our political
lexicography, something strangely
called the “annulment” of an election
perceived by all to have been the
fairest, cleanest and most peaceful
ever held in our nation.
Since that abominable act of naked
political armed robbery occurred, I
have been constantly urged by
people of goodwill, both in Nigeria
and abroad, to put the matter back
into the people’s hands and get them
to actualise the mandate they gave
me at the polls. But mindful of the
need to ensure that peace continues
to reign in our fragile federation, I
have so far tried to pursue sweet
reason and negotiation.
My hope has always been to arouse
whatever remnants of patriotism are
left in the hearts of these thieves of
your mandate, and to persuade them
that they should not allow their
personal desire to rule to usher our
beloved country into an era of
political instability and economic
ruin.
All I have sought to do, in seeking
dialogue with them, has been to try
and get them to realise that only real
democracy can move our nation
forward towards progress, and earn
her the respect she deserves from
the international community.
However, although this peaceful
approach has exposed me to severe
censure by some who have mistaken
it for weakness on my part, those
with whom I have sought to dialogue
have remained like stones, neither
stirred to show loyalty to the
collective decision of the people of
their own country, nor to observe
Allah’s injunction that they should
exhibit justice and fair-play in all
their dealings with their fellowmen.
Appeals to their honour as officers
and gentlemen of the gallant Nigerian
Armed Forces, have fallen on deaf
ears. Instead, they have resorted to
the tactics of divide and rule, bribery
and political perfidy, misinformation
and (vile) propaganda. They arrest
everyone who disagrees with them.
Even the 71-year old hero of our
nation, Chief Anthony Enahoro, was
not spared. How much longer can we
tolerate all this? People of Nigeria,
you are all witnesses that I have tried
to climb the highest mountain, cross
the deepest river and walk the
longest mile, in order to get these
men to obey the will of our people.
There is no humiliation I have not
endured, no snare that has not been
put in my path, no “setup” that has
not been designed for me in my
endeavour to use the path of peace
to enforce the mandate that you
bestowed on me one year ago. It has
been a long night. But the dawn is
here.
Today, people of Nigeria, I join you
all in saying, “Enough is Enough!”
We have endured 24 years of military
rule in our 34 years of independence.
Military rule has led to our nation
fighting a civil war with itself. Military
rule has destabilised our nation
today as not before in its history.
Military rule has impoverished our
people and introduced a dreadful
trade in drugs which has made our
country’s name an anathema in many
parts of the world. Even soccer fans
going to watch the Green Eagles
display in America are being made to
suffer there needlessly because
Nigeria’s name is linked with credit
card and fraud and “419.” Politically,
military rule has torn to shreds the
prestige due to our country because
of its size and population.
The permanent seat at the United
Nations Security Council that should
be rightfully ours, is all but lost. For
who will vote for Nigeria to get the
seat if Nigerian military rulers do not
respect the votes of their own
people?
Enough of military rule. We are
sickened to see people who have
shown little or no personal
achievement, either in building up
private businesses, or making
success of any tangible thing, being
placed in charge of the management
of our nation’s economy, by rulers
who are not accountable to anyone.
Enough of square pegs in round
holes. We are tired of then military
repetitive tendency to experiment
with our economy: Today, they say
“no controls.” Tomorrow; they say
“Full controls”. The day after, they
say “Fine tuning”.
The next day, they say “Devaluation.”
A few days later, they say “Revalue
the same naira upwards again Abi?”
All we can see are the consequences
of this permanent game of military
“about turns;” high inflation, a huge
budget deficit and an enormous
foreign debt repayment burden, dying
industries, high unemployment and a
demoralised populace.
Our youths, in particular, can see no
hope on the horizon, and many can
only dream of escaping from our
shores to join the brain drain. Is this
the Nigeria we want? We are plagued
also by periodic balance of payments
crises, which have led to a perennial
shortage of essential drugs, that has
turned our hospitals and clinics into
mortuaries.
A scarcity of books and equipment
has rendered our schools into
desolate deserts of ignorance. Our
factories are crying for machinery,
spare parts and raw materials. But
each day that passes, instead of
these economic diseases being
cured, they are rather strengthened
as an irrational allocation of foreign
exchange based on favouritism and
corruption becomes the order of the
day.
Enough is enough of economic
mismanagement! People of Nigeria,
during the election campaign last
year, I presented you with a
programme entitled “HOPE ’93. This
programme was aimed precisely at
solving these economic (problems)
that have demoralised us all. I toured
every part of Nigeria to present this
programme to you the electorate. I
was questioned on it at public rallies
and press conferences and I had the
privilege of incorporating into it
much of the feedback that I obtained
from the people.
Because you knew I would not only
listen to you but deliver superb
results from the programme, you
voted for me in your millions and
gave me an overwhelming majority
over my opponent. To be precise,
you gave me 58.4 per cent of the
popular vote and a majority in 20 out
of 30 states plus the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja. Not only that, you
also enabled me to fulfil the
constitutional requirement that the
winner should obtain one-third of the
votes in two-thirds of the states.
I am sure that when you cast an eye
on the moribund state of Nigeria
today, you ask yourselves: “What
have we done to deserve this, when
we have a president- elect who can
lead a government that can change
things for the better? Our patience
has come to an end.
As of now, from this moment, a new
Government of National Unity is in
power throughout the length and
breadth of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, led by me, Bashorun M.K.O.
Abiola, as President and
Commander-in-Chief. The National
Assembly is hereby reconvened. All
dismissed governors are reinstated.
The State Assemblies are
reconstituted, as are all local
government councils. I urge them to
adopt a bi-partisan approach to all
the issues that come before them.
At the national level, a bi-partisan approach will be our guiding principle. I call upon the usurper, General Sani Abacha, to announce
his resignation forthwith, together
with the rest of his illegal ruling
council. We are prepared to enter
into negotiations with them to work
out the mechanics for a smooth
transfer of power.
I pledge that if they hand over
quietly, they will be retired with all
their entitlements, and their positions
will be accorded all the respect due
to them. For our objective is neither
recrimination nor witch-hunting, but
an enforcement of the will of the
Nigerian people, as expressed in free
elections conducted by the duly
constituted authority of the time.
I hereby invoke the mandate
bestowed upon me by my victory in
the said election, to call on all
members of the Armed Forces and
the Police, the Civil and Public
Services throughout the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, to obey only the
Government of National Unity that is
headed by me, your only elected
President.
My Government of National Unity is
the only legitimate, constituted
authority in the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, as of now. People of Nigeria,
these are challenging times in the
history of our continent, Africa, and
we in Nigeria must not allow
ourselves to be left behind. Our
struggle is the same as that waged
by the people of South Africa, which
has been successfully concluded,
with the inauguration of Mr. Nelson
Mandela as the first African President
of that country.
Nelson Mandela fought to replace
MINORITY rule with MAJORITY rule.
We in Nigeria are also fighting to
replace MINORITY rule, for we are
ruled by only a tiny section of our
armed forces. Like the South
Africans, we want MAJORITY rule
today, that is rule only by those
chosen by all the people of Nigeria
as a whole in free and fair elections.
The only difference between South
Africa and Nigeria is that those who
imposed minority rule on the majority
rule whether it is by black or white,
remains minority rule, and must be
booted out. I call on you, heroic
people of Nigeria, to emulate the
actions of your brothers and sisters
in South Africa and stand up as one
person to throw away the yoke of
minority rule for ever.
The antics of every minority that
oppresses the majority are always
the same. They will try to intimidate
you with threats of police action. But
do not let us fear arrest. In South
Africa, so many people were arrested,
during the campaign against the
Pass Laws, for instance, that the jails
could not hold all of them. Today,
apartheid is gone forever.
So, let it be with Nigeria. Let us say
goodbye forever to minority rule by
the military. They talk of treason. But
haven’t they heard of the Rivonia
treason trial in South Africa? Did
those treason trials halt the march of
history? People of Nigeria, our time is
now. You are the repository of power
in the land.
No one can give you power. It is
yours. Take it! From this day, show to
the world that anyone who takes the
people of Nigeria for fools is
deceiving himself and will have the
people to answer to. God bless you
all. Long live the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. Long live the Government of
National Unity.
