General Abacha took power on November 17, 1993, Nigerians across the country were aggrieved. Today, the situation of Nigeria is even worse
The current situation in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu is worse than it was during the military regime of General Sani Abacha in 1993, according to Dele Farotimi, a lawyer and campaigner for human rights.
Suppressing public protests, the Tinubu administration has deployed security personnel. The police and military have violently dispersed protesters at several events in response to policies like the elimination of gasoline subsidies. Arrests have been made of protesters, and there have been reports of violent crackdowns on demonstrations.
At Thursday’s public symposium, “Afenifere: Identity, Ideas and Ideology,” in Onikan, Lagos State’s Muson Centre, Farotimi, who is also the General Secretary of Afenifere bemoaned the deterioration of the Nigerian state and emphasized the critical importance of solidarity, ideological clarity, and citizen-led initiatives.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the late head of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group that shaped Nigeria’s political history, was honored on his 97th posthumous birthday.
Farotimi said, “Before Baba Adebanjo died, we were already discussing this symposium. Those discussions were informed by the misunderstandings and divisions that had begun to trouble the path of Afenifere.
“Not long before Baba’s passing, I became the National Organising Secretary of Afenifere. A few weeks after his demise, it became clear that efforts must be made to clear the misconceptions around Afenifere, its ideology, its history, and its role in Nigeria.
“We decided to use this opportunity to celebrate Baba’s life, the ideals he stood for, and ensure those ideals are carried forward in a manner that reflects the truth and the people’s understanding.
“There is an American, Paul Bock, who said: ‘If you want to understand today, you have to research yesterday.
“The challenges Nigeria faces today are not new. When Afenifere was formed 74 years ago, it was a response to existential threats to the Nigerian project, even before independence.
“Issues of centralisation, calls for separation, and debates around federalism were already alive. Federalism, championed by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the Action Group, was the middle ground.
“What we have today is a one-size-fits-all system, imposed by the centre. Instead of allowing the diverse nations within Nigeria to flourish, we have a unitary arrangement masquerading as federalism. This structure has stifled development and made life nearly unbearable for many Nigerians.
“Every platform that could empower the people has been systematically dismantled. Afenifere, however, still has a role to play, if there is to be a future for Nigeria. Afenifere must be at the forefront of challenging the current system that has erased the place of the citizen and undermined the rule of law.
“With the judicial system compromised, and the law rendered meaningless, the lives of all Nigerians whether Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, or Ijaw have been devalued.
“We live in a country where armed groups are referred to as hunters, and yet no one knows who or what they’re hunting. Citizens sleep with one eye open or don’t sleep at all, because the state has failed in its most basic duty. The protection of lives and property. The constitution is ignored at will, and governance is marked by illegitimacy and arbitrariness.
“After General Abacha took power on November 17, 1993, Nigerians across the country were aggrieved. Different groups had different complaints, but Afenifere served as the binding force leading the formation of NADECO and pushing back against military tyranny.
“Today, the situation is even worse. In 2023, just like in 1993, the will of the people has been disregarded, and that puts the very foundation of society at risk.
“If we allow ourselves to be distracted and divided, we lose our ability to seek freedom. Those who benefit from our disunity do so by diminishing not just our civic rights but our humanity.
“Afenifere must now offer a platform for all Nigerians regardless of ethnic background to come together. It was never founded for the Yoruba alone but for all Nigerians. It was founded to save us from ourselves.
“I still hear Baba’s voice telling us, “Go and organise yourselves.” He never stopped calling for unity and self-organisation. Today, we honour him not just in words but through action. What we do with his legacy is now in our hands.
“Afenifere is extending a hand to all Nigerians to work with us, to find common ground and purpose, so that we may save ourselves from the crises that engulf us. This situation is not desirable but it is not irreversible.”