I sacrificed ambition for Abiola to contest June 12 election–Atiku
By Tunde Opalana
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Thursday lamented that despite sacrifices made by martyrs of democracy, democratic promises made in 1999 are being destroyed by bad governance.
In his Democracy Day 2025 message, Atiku said all hopes raised 32 years ago that Nigeria would rise as a beacon of liberty, justice, and self-determination remained a mirage.
According to him, the gains of the June 12, 1993 presidential election were hard-won, “but sadly, the democratic promise that blossomed in 1999 is being steadily dismantled before our very eyes.”
Today, he said “Nigeria teeters on the edge of a dangerous precipice — a creeping one-party dictatorship is replacing the democratic order we bled for. Those who laid down their lives did not do so for Nigerians to groan under the yoke of authoritarianism and economic suffocation.
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“The ruling party and its federal government now govern with the unmistakable intent to dominate, subdue, and silence. Their tactics are not subtle. Opposition voices are being systematically erased.
“Contracts for multi-billion-naira infrastructure are funnelled to cronies and family associates of the president. National institutions, once symbols of unity, are being brazenly renamed in honour of a sitting president — as though the country were a private estate.
“What we are witnessing is not governance — it is conquest.
“This government represents the lowest ebb in our democratic journey. Institutions have been weaponized. Policies are crafted not to empower the people but to entrench fear, obedience, and control.
“The common Nigerian has been abandoned at the altar of elite comfort. And make no mistake: this is the antithesis of everything June 12 stands for.
As a privileged participant in the June 12, 1993 historic election, Atiku saluted those that died fighting for the actualization of the mandate won by late Chief Moshood Olawale Abiola.
He said it was a moment of great promise — and great sacrifice.
“The political class made painful compromises, but it was the Nigerian people who bore the heaviest burden. They yearned for a new democratic order, and many paid dearly for it.
“I, too, made my fair share of sacrifices, most notably setting aside my own presidential ambition in deference to the late Chief MKO Abiola — a gesture made in faith and fidelity to a higher national cause.
“But others gave far more. The late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Tafida Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Alfred Rewane — these brave souls gave their lives in pursuit of a freer Nigeria. Their memories are etched into our national conscience and must never be forgotten.”
As the nation approaches the 2027 general election, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charged Nigerian to chose wisely.
“We are again at a historic threshold. Nigeria must choose: the path of democratic renewal or the dark alley of despotism.
“The ongoing effort to build a broad, united opposition front is not about power for power’s sake. It is a moral imperative. It is about defending the legacy of June 12.
“It is about ensuring that no one — no matter how powerful — is allowed to privatize the state and reduce the people to pawns in their political chess game.
“It is about reclaiming Nigeria for Nigerians and safeguarding the future of generations unborn.
“This is not just a political contest; it is a moral crusade. A struggle to liberate our economy, our democracy, and our dignity from the grip of authoritarian forces. And like every righteous struggle, it demands courage, clarity, and collective resolve.
“As long as oppression thrives, June 12 lives on — not just as memory, but as movement. The time to rise is now,” he said.
