Former Governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd), has revealed that 80% of military officers supported the actualization of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.
He called for public recognition of those who fought for the democracy Nigeria has today.
In a statement, Umar, who recently received a national award (CFR) from President Bola Tinubu, said many military officers fought for the election’s actualization from underground.
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He urged the President to ignore politicians’ sycophancy and focus on providing good governance instead of getting distracted by the 2027 campaign.
“Although I was one of the leaders of that movement within the military, my contribution was by no means bigger than theirs,” Umar said.
He added, “While I have been recognised and celebrated, including with this National Honour by the President, they have remained anonymous.”
He emphasized that because of this, it is his duty to reveal the identity of these patriots to acknowledge their contributions.
“The fact that Chief Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12 election, won over 80 per cent of the Armed Forces votes, clearly demonstrated the contribution of the other members of the military,” he added.
Umar then listed some of the officers who worked for the actualization of the June 12 presidential results:
- Colonel M.A. Garba, his deputy at the Armoured Corps Centre and School, who continued their plans after Umar was arrested.
- Lt. Col. Lawal Jaafaru Isa
- Lt. Col. U.F. Ahmed
- Lt. Col. M.S. Dasuki
- Lt. Col. M.L. Gwadabe
- Lt. Col. J. Temlong
- Lt. Col. Musa Shehu
- Lt. Col. Chris Eze
- Lt. Col. H.M. Dzarma
- Lt. Col. Isa Jibrin
- Lt. Col. J.O.S. Oshanupin
- Lt. Col. A. Oloruntoba (the present Olugbede of Gbede kingdom)
- Lt. Col. Moke
- Lt. Col. Happy Bulus
- Lt. Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola
- Colonel J. Okai
- Colonel E. Ndubueze
- Lt. Col. Yakubu Muazu
- Lt. Col. Yahaya Abubakar (the current Etsu Nupe)
- Major Saad Abubakar (the current Sultan of Sokoto)
- Maj Abba Maimalari
- Maj Jamil Tahir
- Maj Buzugbe
- Maj L.P. Aprezi
- Maj M.K. Yake
- Maj J. Dawah
- Maj Suleiman Wali
- Maj Dauda Komo
- Maj Lucky Torrie
- Maj J.S. Zaruwa
- Maj M. Sumaye
- Maj Sani Bawa
- Maj Ndaliman
- Maj Ahmed
- Maj M. Bawa
- Lt. Col. J.B. Ahmadu
- Capt Junaid Bindawa
- Capt Lar
Umar stated, “I therefore accept this award with a sense of humility on behalf of all these officers and men.”
He stressed that for Nigeria’s democracy to deliver, leaders must govern with the fear of God and prioritize good governance over political maneuvering.
He also advised President Tinubu to lead a “war against sycophancy in all its forms.”
He humorously warned the President to shun predictions from sycophants, citing the Senate President’s recent claim that Tinubu would win the 2027 election with 99.9% of the votes.
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