June 12 crisis led to adoption of power rotation, says Akume

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, says Nigeria’s political leaders adopted the principle of power rotation between the North and South as a response to the political crisis that followed the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

Akume said the decision emerged after extensive consultations among leaders of the then-emerging Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who sought a lasting solution to the tensions generated by the cancellation of the election widely believed to have been won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja as part of activities marking Democracy Day, Akume recalled that prominent political figures, including the late Chief Solomon Lar and the late Chief Adamu Ciroma, convened a crucial meeting in Kaduna where the issue was extensively debated. He noted that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was among those present.

According to the SGF, the meeting focused on two major issues: the transfer of political power and the selection of the PDP’s presidential candidate ahead of Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.

“It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed upon,” Akume said, explaining that the arrangement was designed to promote national unity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging among Nigeria’s diverse regions.

The June 12, 1993 election, contested between Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bashir Othman Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), is widely regarded as one of the freest and fairest elections in Nigeria’s history. Its annulment by the military government sparked widespread protests and deepened regional and political divisions across the country.

Akume described the annulment as a painful setback for democracy.

“Abiola won that election fair and square. That election was annulled by the military government. It was very painful because the people spoke, and they spoke freely. They made their own choice,” he said.