NIGERIA: Opposition Divided Over Government of National Unity

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

LAGOS, Jul 20 1998 (IPS) - As Nigerians wait for Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar to outline his plans for democratic elections and a return to civilian rule, pro-democracy and human rights groups remain divided over the composition of a proposed Government of National Unity (GNU).

Abubakar, who succeeded Gen. Sani Abacha who died of a heart attack on Jun.7, will outline his vision of Nigeria on Monday evening in a national address. He is expected to touch on the five registered political parties, the Oct. 1 handover date to civilian rule and the proposed GNU.

He also will address the political instability in Nigeria sparked by the annulled Jun. 12, 1994 presidential elections widely believed to have been won by Chief Moshood Abiola, who died of a heart attack on Jul. 7, only hours before his release from detention, where he had been since 1994.

Under Abacha’s transition programme, presidential elections were scheduled for August, after which, the military would handover to a civilian government in October.

But since taking office, Abubakar has dissolved the bodies overseeing the transition, sacked the government and released hundreds of political prisoners, saying he is keenly aware of the need for national reconciliation.

The new Nigerian leader dissolved the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC), the National Reconciliation Committee (NARECOM) and the Committee on Devolution of Power (CODOP).

Only the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) charged with overseeing elections and the Federal Character Commission, both of which formed part of the yet to be promulgated 1995 constitution, have not been affected by last week’s dissolution.

However, pro-democracy and human rights groups have remained split over what a new government should look like. While some activists favour the appointment of members from Nigeria’s six geo- political zones, others want a democratic election of the representatives to the GNU.

The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in a proposal to Abubakar, suggested the hand-picking of members for the GNU from the country’s six geo-political zones.

NADECO deputy chairman, Abraham Adesanya, said the GNU should consist of a Federal Executive Council made up of 24 members – four persons from each zone. NADECO, in collaboration with other groups, will propose eight names out of which the government can choose four per zone.

This proposal has not gone down well with the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria (JACON), an umbrella body for 55 organisations, which has vowed to resist any attempt to hand-pick GNU members.

“We want a democratic approach to it. The military autocracy has ravaged and impoverished the Nigerian people and JACON will resist anybody who wants to substitute military dictatorship with civilian dictatorship,” said Lagos lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, who is JACON’s National Co-ordinator.

“Any group that tries to sideline the people by hand-picking leaders into the Government of National Unity will be doing a disservice to the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people,” he argued.

Before Abiola’s death, JACON had proposed the termination of military rule on, or before Oct. 1, and the creation of a GNU with Abiola as the head.

“With the death of Abiola, the modality and composition of the GNU has had to be re-examined. Apart from the GNU, all the other proposals regarding a sovereign National Conference are still relevant in their fundamentals,” Fawehinmi said.

He suggested that: “… a six-member democratically-elected transitional Government of National Unity should take over power from the Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar-led military government”.

A political source in the capital Abuja told IPS that the five registered parties would likely be dissolved since they have been seen by Nigerians as discredited organisations used in the planned self-succession bid of the late Abacha.

The parties and their leaders played active roles in efforts to enthrone Abacha, when at their different conventions early this year, they adopted the late head of state as their sole candidate for the presidential election scheduled for Aug. 1.

The source also said the Government of National Unity may not see the light of day, just as the Oct. 1 date for the military’s exit does not seem feasible, because of the situation in the country and a time constraint.

Former Nigerian leader, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who was released from prison by the Abubakar regime recently, has cautioned Nigerians not to force the military to go ahead with the Aug. 1 election. Obasanjo was quoted as telling a leading U.S. newspaper that having elections on schedule in August, might be a little hasty.