By peterside Rejoice Eneky
A former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri, has stirred fresh debate over the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, asserting that the poll did not truly reflect the democratic will of Nigerians.
Speaking during the Second Posthumous Legacy Colloquium held in honour of the late media mogul High Chief Raymond Dokpesi in Abuja, Waziri claimed that the electorate was left with no genuine choice but to vote between two candidates handpicked by the military regime.
“The 1993 election forced Nigerians to choose between Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Alhaji Bashir Tofa, both of whom were allies of then military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida,” Waziri said. “With due respect, Abiola was not the choice of Nigerians, neither was Tofa. The real choices were people like Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Bamanga Tukur.”
Waziri argued that the election, widely hailed as a democratic milestone, was in reality a desperate move by the public to escape the grip of military rule. “It wasn’t an endorsement of the candidates, but a cry for civilian governance,” he stated.
The colloquium, organized by friends and political associates of Dokpesi under the D-37 platform, served as a reflection on his contributions to Nigerian media, politics, and democracy. Waziri described Dokpesi as a visionary whose impact on broadcasting and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would remain indelible.
In a poignant moment, Waziri recalled his final exchange with Dokpesi before his passing. “We chatted. I was asleep around 11 when I got the call. It was sad, but also a relief he passed at home. His death on that day could have sparked national controversy,” he said.
Waziri called for proper documentation of Dokpesi’s political legacy, especially his role from 1999 to 2023.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Alex Ter Adum, General Secretary of D-37 and former Benue State Attorney General, praised Dokpesi’s influence across Nigeria’s Second, Third, and Fourth Republics, noting the irony of his passing on May 29 Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Yusuf Usman sharply criticized Nigeria’s current political climate. “There’s worsening insecurity, injustice, and corruption,” he said. “The government is disconnected from the people. Life has become cheap, and the military is stretched thin.”
Usman concluded that the nation’s decline is a product of a broken political structure where citizens bear the brunt of systemic failure.
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