Rita Odafe
Shehu Sani
During a panel discussion at the This Nigeria Lecture and Award event in Abuja on Thursday, June 27, former Kaduna lawmaker Shehu Sani expressed his belief that the country’s biggest mistake occurred when democracy activists refused the military’s offer to take over power in 1999.
The event was centered around the theme “25 Years of Unbroken Democracy – Challenges, Prospects, and Possibilities.”
Senator Sani recounted the imprisonment and subsequent release of democracy fighters during the regime of former military leader Sani Abacha. He mentioned that General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who took over from Abacha, extended an invitation to the democracy activists to assume power, an opportunity they hesitated to embrace.
Reflecting on their decision not to cooperate with the military, Sani lamented that this allowed politicians to dominate the political sphere by the time they decided to engage with the military.
Comparing the situation to the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, Sani pointed out that while the ANC successfully transitioned to political power after their struggle, Nigerian democracy fighters missed a crucial opening in 1998 and 1999.
He emphasized that prominent figures like Mike Ozekhome, Olisa Agbakoba, Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, and himself faced challenges in realizing their political ambitions due to the political landscape being already occupied by others.
At the event, attended by dignitaries like the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), and Abiodun Adeniyi, Shehu Sani highlighted the struggles encountered by democracy activists in attaining political positions.
