Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, has confidently declared that military rule is no longer possible in Nigeria, asserting that the democratic system achieved through intense civil resistance has now taken deep root.
Speaking in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday as part of June 12 Democracy Day celebrations, Falae emphasized that Nigeria’s 26 years of uninterrupted democracy is a legacy of the sacrifices made by the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which he helped lead.
“The NADECO struggle was a successful one, and of course, it ushered in democratic elections which have come to stay,” he said. “Since independence, we have never had 25 to 26 years of unbroken democratic rule, and the NADECO struggle was responsible for that.”
Now holding the traditional title of Olu of Ilu-Abo in Akure North LGA, Falae recounted the fearless resistance mounted by NADECO against the military regimes, especially following the annulment of the 1993 presidential election widely believed to have been won by MKO Abiola.
According to him, the military has since recognized that any attempt to seize power would now face open resistance from civilians.
“The soldiers saw how we fought to maintain democracy. That’s one of the reasons they have not tried since then, because they know now there would be resistance,” he said.
“In the past, the military always showed that if they took over, nobody would kick, nobody would dare retaliate. We have dared. We have succeeded.”
Chief Falae also reflected on a defining moment during the NADECO campaign when the group boldly issued a 30-day ultimatum to the military regime to restore Abiola’s mandate, a move he described as unprecedented.
“That’s very significant. It had never happened in our history that a bunch of civilians would give an ultimatum to a military government. Since 1963, not once had any group dared to challenge the military. We were the first.”
The 9am News report marks Falae’s remarks as a timely reminder of the enduring sacrifices that led to Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation. His comments add to national reflection on June 12, a day now recognized as Democracy Day in honour of the 1993 elections and the democratic strides that followed.
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