Anayochukwu Agbo
June 12, 2026, Democracy Day was low key across the country because of the economic hardship in Nigeria. In the absence of a national euphoria, it was marked by targeted activities to remind Nigerians of the rough road to 27 years of democracy since 1999. In Abuja, a non-governmental organisation, Leadership Excellence & Goals Advocacy, LEGA, marked the day with a book launch and awards.
Titled “Memorabilia 2026”, the highlights included the presentation of a book, The Metamorphosis of June 12: A Country of Particular Concern, written by Dr Solsuema Osaro, a democracy advocate and chief operating officer LEGA, and awards to honour some heroes of June 12 and democracy.
The book highlights Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. According to Dr Victoria Oyor, president, Women Global Faith Work, “June 12 is not a mere remembrance. It is a significant date in Nigeria’s history, marking the country’s freest and fairest election in 1993, which was annulled by the military government. June 12 symbolises the people’s desire for self-determination and unhindered choices.”
Of the book, she says, “It reminds us that Nigeria must transition from darkness to light, addressing issues like poverty and negative international branding that classified Nigeria as ‘a country of particular concern.’ The Metamorphosis of June 12 is the people’s clarion call. Let all answer it.”
Osaro says the book “is not merely a literary work; it is a reflection of Nigeria’s turbulent democratic journey and a tribute to the resilience of a people determined to claim their voice…It is a reflection of your story, your pain, your struggle and your unwavering belief in a better Nation.”
According to Fortune Obia, president, Aspiring Young Women in Leadership, “To believe in June 12 is to believe in democracy itself. And to honour it is to ensure that the sacrifices of yesterday continue and the promise of tomorrow.”
She further affirms, “The Metamorphosis of June 12 is the fearless voice of the people echoing truth that time has not erased: that the will of the masses is sacred and that democracy must never be reduced to mere symbolism.”
Made up of 80 poems, part one presents the June 12 saga in 49 verses; while part two celebrates the Icons of June 12 in 31pulsating eulogies. “Celebrating Icons of June 12,” says Samuel Abe Saka, is “a quiet summon to water democracy’s ember, honouring Nigerians who, with inked resolve and unbowed will, planted seeds of national inspiration where freedom, justice and good governance take root.”
One of these icons is Tell Magazine, and its president, Nosa Igiebor. Osaro captures Tell’s fearless defence of democracy thus:
When tanks wrote law and silence was the creed
TELL struck the match for freedom’s hidden seed
Through junta’s hidden night, one ink-stained voice would stand
Till June 12 dawned and democracy touched the land
In years when barracks wore the mask of state
Truth was shackled, drowned in curfew’s gate
TELL rose: An anvil where no tyrant’s word could bend
Its pages and lanterns where the free dared to wend….
In five stanzas of 20 lines, the poet captures the travails and courage of the Independent Press, symbolised by TELL in the fierce struggle to oust the military and return the country to democracy. He cooed: “The ink of TELL…/Not loud as cannons, but relentless, bold and grand/ A magazine that guarded freedom’s breath across the land.”
In the opening remarks, Osaro waxed nostalgic about June 12. Then he had stood in line with other school children to watch Abiola during his campaign tour of Port Harcourt and was enamoured by his personality and oratory. He recalled the disappointment of the annulment and how that has influenced his politics.
He joined the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the hope that they could replicate Abiola’s legacy. His annual June 12 Democracy Memorabilia, which is in its second edition, is to celebrate those values that Abiola stood for. His philosophy as a politician is to make social democracy the preferred option in Nigeria to meet the needs of the masses. He chose the awardees based on the various roles they played in the struggle to enthrone and sustain democracy in Nigeria.
The chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, director general of Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, commended LEGA for immortalising June 12 and honouring the icons of democracy. He recalled the memory, as a three-year-old, of MKO Abiola in 1993 when he campaigned across the nation, the hope engendered and the disappointment of the annulment of his victory. He expressed happiness that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria, despite imperfections, and affirmed that June 12 and Abiola will remain the symbols of democracy in Nigeria.
Receiving the award on behalf of TELL Communication Ltd., Anayochukwu Agbo, general editor and Abuja Bureau chief, thanked LEGA for the honour and reaffirmed the commitment of the magazine to fearless investigative journalism without compromise. He said that TELL has paid considerable price for holding on to public interest and professionalism in its reportage, and will continue to do so.
Women at the ceremony also weighed in and insisted that women should no longer be put at the back seat when national issues are on the table. Mrs. Patience Oghagbon, a teacher and activist, noted that women also paid the price for June 12 as Abiola’s wife, Kudirat, fought alongside her husband and paid with her life. She admonished men to make room for women to contribute their bit to democracy and nation building.
Similarly, Mrs. Fortune Obia, Osaro’s partner, urged men to loosen up and allow women to participate in the affairs of the society as well as at home, and not be restricted to the “inner room” only. She argues that women are competent and have a lot to contribute, if men give them the chance.
The occasion ended with participants looking forward to Memorabilia 2027.
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