Former Nigerian lawmaker, Shehu Sani, recently reflected on a critical decision made by democracy fighters in 1999, describing it as a fundamental error. Speaking at the ‘This Nigeria Lecture and Award’ event in Abuja, Sani recounted how General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded Sani Abacha, offered to hand over power to the democracy activists, but they declined the military’s offer.
Sani explained that General Abubakar invited the democracy fighters multiple times, intending to transfer power to them, but they refused to cooperate. This decision, he now believes, was a significant mistake. Sani emphasized that, unlike in South Africa, where the African National Congress (ANC) took over political power after their struggle, the Nigerian activists missed their chance by refusing the military’s overture, leading to politicians filling all key positions by the time the activists decided to participate.
He highlighted that notable activists like Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba, and others opposed joining the political process at the time, which later hindered their political ambitions. Sani pointed out that by the time they chose to engage, the political landscape was dominated by established politicians, leaving little room for the original democracy fighters to attain significant positions of power.