Opinion
Democracy Day: Initial plan for hand over was June 12 ,1999 not May 29- EL RUFAI.
By Nigerian Tracker
Governor of Kaduna state Malam Nasir El- Rufai said the plan to hand over power to democratically elected leaders in 1999 was June 12 but was later changed to May 29.
Malam Nasir El- Rufai who was a member of the Programme Implementation committee of General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s government said this in a book he published in 2013 ,the ACCIDENTAL PUBLIC SERVANT.
Governor EL- Rufai of Kaduna
El -Rufai said due to the loss of credibility on the part of the military, General Abdulsalami Abubakar decided to bow out on 1st January 1999.
General Abubakar handing over to Obasanjo
“At the first meeting of PIMCO on the 10th of June 1998, Abdulsalami made it clear that because the military had lost credibility from seemingly endless transitions ,postponements and cancellation of elections, he wish to conclude the Abacha transition and hand over power on the first of January 1999.
El Rufai said their committee welcomed the idea but told General Abdulsalami Abubakar that they will go and consult widely to find out what majority of Nigerians thought on that and other related matters.
According to El Rufai, after making consultations and counsel from former Chief Justice of Nigeria Muhammad Lawal Uwais on the time required for dispensing election litigations ,the programme implementation committee (PIMCO)arrived at Saturday the 12th of June 1999 as the handover date.
EL RUFAI continued
“Now any student of Nigerian politics should know that the 12th of June is about as close to bad drama for the military regime as you can get- it was the date of the election which MKO Abiola won and was later annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida,Abdulsalami recognised this date as well,so we moved two weeks backward to the 29th of May ,which has remained our ‘Democracy Day ‘ and a national holiday ever since.”
Cover of the Book
But prior to the election of President Muhammad Buhari for second term as President, he changed Nigeria’s democracy day from May 29 and declared June 12 by way of legislation.
During the 20 years anniversary of Nigeria’s return to democracy ,the day President Muhammad Buhari was sworn in for second term on May 29 2019 ,the President did not read his inaugural speech till June 12 2019.
President Buhari
Also on that day the President renamed Abuja national stadium as Chief MKO Abiola stadium.
Some Nigerians criticized President Buhari’s decision to change Nigeri’as democracy day ,seeing the move as a way to please the southwest where Chief MKO Abiola comes from.