By Samuel Akpobome Orovwuje
Every June 12, Nigeria pauses to remember a turning point in its democratic history — the 1993 presidential election annulled by military President Ibrahim Babaginda despite being the freest and fairest the nation has witnessed. The date now stands as a symbol of resistance, sacrifice, and the indomitable will of the Nigerian people for participatory democracy.
For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a former NADECO exile, pro-democracy stalwart, former governor of Lagos State and now the Commander-in-Chief — June 12 is more than symbolic. It is a national call to conscience. This year’s commemoration has added meaning with his administration’s efforts at national reconciliation, including plans for presidential pardons, the recognition of democracy icons, and the initiation of mechanisms for restorative justice.
Interestingly, the annulled 1993 election, won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, marked a watershed moment. Nigerians from every ethnic, religious, and social background defied old divisions to vote for change. Abiola’s eventual detention and death in 1998 shook the foundation of the nation but deepened the people’s resolve for democratic governance.
Among those who took personal risks during this turbulent era was President Tinubu himself — then a young senator forced into exile for his activism with the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). Today, history demands of him a higher responsibility: not just to remember June 12 but to heal the wounds it left behind.
In a strategic move that signals both moral clarity and political foresight, the Tinubu administration has initiated a comprehensive presidential pardon and reconciliation process. Central to this is the posthumous pardon of the Ogoni 9, including the renowned writer and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, whose execution by the Abacha regime in 1995 provoked global condemnation and long-standing grievances in the Niger Delta.
The President during his maiden State of the Nation address to a joint session of the National Assembly extend awards and honours to individuals and groups who were unjustly imprisoned, harassed, or forced into exile for their roles in the June 12 resistance movement. These include journalists, civil society leaders, and human rights defenders who stood for justice when it was most dangerous to do so.
In line with the president speech of Our dream is worth fighting for, the Tinubu administration should constitute a National Reconciliation and Restorative Justice Panel, bringing together stakeholders from the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society, the National Human Rights Commission, and relevant ministries. This panel would vet applications for clemency, assess historical injustices, and recommend symbolic and legal remedies.
In a complementary gesture, President Tinubu confers national honours on key actors in the June 12 saga, including late Professor Humphrey Nwosu, who chaired the National Electoral Commission (NEC) during the 1993 elections. Nwosu’s bravery in conducting and announcing election results — despite military pressure — remains a critical yet underappreciated chapter in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Honouring him and others like the late Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Pa Alfred Rewane, Kudirat Abiola, and Beko Ransome-Kuti and others affirms the government’s commitment to acknowledging sacrifices made in the pursuit of national rebirth. Such recognition transcends symbolism. It reinforces a national narrative that democracy was fought for — not gifted. It reminds younger generations that their civic rights were earned through pain, sacrifice, and resilience.
Instructive is the presidential pardon of the Ogoni 9 which carries far-reaching implications, not just for history’s sake, but also for the future of peace and environmental justice in the Niger Delta. The Ogoni struggle, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, was not only against environmental degradation by oil companies but also a call for equitable federalism and corporate accountability.
This formal pardon in my view would serve as a public affirmation that the Nigerian state now recognizes the legitimacy of that struggle. It could also reopen dialogue between the federal government and aggrieved Niger Delta communities, while reinforcing trust in national institutions.
Already, the Tinubu administration has hinted at expanding environmental remediation efforts in Ogoniland through HYPREP, alongside broader conversations about fiscal justice, resource control, and local community equity in oil governance.
With the 2027 general elections on the horizon, Tinubu’s national reconciliation strategy carries more than historical weight — it has deep political implications. It offers the president a unique opportunity to rebrand his administration as a government of moral purpose, distinct from the transactional politics often associated with Nigerian leadership. By aligning himself with justice, truth, and national unity, Tinubu renews his relevance not only as a politician but as a statesman.
Furthermore, these reconciliation gestures could deepen support across political fault lines, especially in regions such as the South-East, South-South, and North-Central, where historical grievances run deep and federal trust is thin. They also hold symbolic power among the youth — Nigeria’s largest voting bloc — who are increasingly invested in justice, inclusion, and historical accountability.
Pointedly, reconciliation builds institutional legacy. A government that acknowledges its past mistakes and compensates victims is a government that raises the bar of democratic governance. It would serve as a potent counterweight to populist movements and cynical opposition messaging ahead of 2027.
Democracy, if it is to survive and flourish, must rest on a culture of memory and moral reckoning. The proposed mechanisms under Tinubu’s administration point toward this higher ideal — one that goes beyond compensation and enters the domain of national soul-searching.
In addition, Restorative justice is not about erasing the past; it is about confronting it with honesty and humility. It involves apologies, acknowledgement, symbolic redress, and institutional reform. It is the antidote to denial, distortion, and disconnection from our recent history.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a man who lived the consequences of June 12 — has uniquely positioned himself to lead this process with sincerity and courage. The legacy of June 12 was never about one man or one election — it was about a people’s refusal to be silenced.
Today, President Tinubu has demonstrated an uncommon moral and political will to fulfil the unfinished business of June 12: by pardoning those persecuted, honouring the forgotten, and institutionalizing reconciliation. History has placed in his hands a unique chance to do what previous leaders only gestured toward — to embed justice at the heart of governance and give future generations a nation that remembers, reconciles, and rebuilds with honour. Happy Democracy Day!
Orovwuje is an international development consultant and public affairs analyst specialising in human rights, policy advocacy, and governance issues.
