By joshua 
June 12: Abiola, A Symbol – Not of Bitterness, But of Sacrifice
By Christopher Sunday
In the annals of Nigeria’s democratic evolution, June 12 stands as a day consecrated by courage, stained with betrayal, and immortalized by the bloodless sacrifice of a man who believed more in the people than in power. Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, whose presidential mandate was annulled by military fiat in 1993, represents not a memory of bitterness, but a monument of sacrifice. He died not for wealth, position, or recognition, but for the sanctity of democracy—the same democracy that seems to be slipping from the hands of the people into the tight grips of an unrepentant political class.
Today, the cries of ordinary Nigerians resonate with pain and disillusionment. For all the slogans of “renewed hope,” the current administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has demonstrated, through its policies and actions, a painful detachment from the realities on the ground. The President himself declared that he inherited a “dilapidated Nigeria,” yet, his administration’s lavish expenditures paint a contradictory picture—one of wealth, luxury, and utter insensitivity to the suffering masses.
How does a leader who claims to have inherited a distressed economy approve ₦21 billion for the renovation of the Vice President’s residence? This astronomical sum could revamp hundreds of public schools or primary healthcare centres across rural Nigeria. Rather than prioritize investments that impact lives directly, the administration has chosen opulence over prudence.
Worse still, a staggering ₦70 billion was allocated to members of the National Assembly for the purchase of luxury SUVs, each costing about ₦160 million. This happened while over 100 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, battling for basic needs like food, water, and shelter. These vehicles are not instruments of legislation but symbols of excess and a reminder that public officeholders have disconnected from the very people they swore to serve.
Further compounding this extravagance is the ₦4 billion approved for renovating the historic Dodan Barracks in Lagos and ₦3 billion for Aguda House. These structures may have historical significance, but at a time when Nigerians are calling for fiscal responsibility, such spendings are highly misplaced.
The ₦5 billion allocated to the Presidential Tax Reforms Committee headed by Taiwo Oyedele—comprising less than twenty members—is even more worrisome. With no visible output to date, this allocation smacks of financial waste and raises serious concerns about transparency and value for money.
Shockingly, ₦1.5 billion was spent on vehicles for the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, even though the office of the First Lady has no constitutional backing in Nigeria. This act not only undermines constitutionalism but reflects a trend of institutionalizing informal offices at public expense.
Adding salt to injury, the judiciary was granted a 300% salary increase, a move that was speedily passed by the Senate, while other critical sectors such as education, health, and infrastructure suffer neglect. Civil servants and retirees continue to languish under unpaid salaries and pensions, yet the judiciary is lavished with expedited perks, all within the same administration.
The same presidency also budgeted ₦5 billion for presidential fleet vehicles and another ₦5 billion for the purchase of a presidential yacht—luxuries that bear no justification in a nation gripped by economic downturn, hunger, and despair.
In another bizarre development, the Federal Government reportedly spent ₦225 billion to acquire a new presidential jet. This figure is not just outrageous but criminally insensitive, especially at a time when Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and other aviation authorities are underfunded and aviation workers are threatening strikes over unpaid salaries.
Also, the government disbursed ₦90 billion for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage. While religious obligations are personal and sacred, funding them with public money in a secular nation where poverty and illiteracy abound is questionable and sends the wrong message about priorities.
The cost of international trips undertaken by both the President and Vice President has also been a major drain on the economy. These trips, often with bloated delegations, consume billions of naira without any measurable impact on foreign investment or bilateral development. Nigerians are asking: what is the return on these extravagant journeys?
Meanwhile, lawmakers continue to enjoy obscene allowances. Each Senator reportedly earns ₦21 million monthly, while members of the House of Representatives earn about ₦13.5 million monthly, including wardrobe allowances, newspaper allowances, hardship allowances, and more. All these increments were instituted or approved under the current administration. The cost of governance, rather than being trimmed as promised, has been inflated beyond comprehension.
One of the most controversial actions of the Tinubu-led administration is the ₦15 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project, awarded under opaque conditions to a Lebanese businessman, Gilbert Chagoury—a known associate of the President who was once deported from Nigeria under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. Such political favoritism undermines due process and smacks of corruption at the highest levels.
Adding to the growing bureaucracy, the government has appointed the largest number of ministers in Nigeria’s history. Each minister comes with aides, drivers, security details, and official perks. The cost of maintaining this bloated cabinet is bleeding the national treasury. And rather than implementing the Oronsaye Report—which recommends merging and scrapping redundant MDAs (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies)—the government is creating more ministries, such as the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The fuel subsidy was removed with much fanfare, with promises that the proceeds would be used to cushion the effects on the masses. But till today, Nigerians have not been told how much has been saved or what the funds have been used for. There is no improvement in public transportation, no subsidy on food or medical care—only suffering.
Electricity tariffs have been hiked with no improvement in power supply. Education is drifting out of the reach of the common man as tuition fees are on the rise across federal and state institutions. Health care remains a death trap for the poor, as public hospitals are ill-equipped, and medical tourism among the elite continues.
Inflation has sent the cost of food beyond the reach of average citizens. From rice to garri, yam to beans, a basic meal has become a luxury. Insecurity has reached new heights with daily killings, kidnappings, and terrorism threatening the sovereignty of the state.
Youth unemployment is at a historic high. A generation full of potential is being wasted as jobs vanish and entrepreneurship is stifled by high inflation, policy instability, and lack of capital.
Corruption has been normalized. Looters walk free, or worse, get rewarded with appointments. Nepotism is no longer hidden; it is now state policy. Appointments and contracts are given based on connections rather than competence.
Security votes, often in billions, remain unaccounted for by governors and top officials. No transparency, no checks. Meanwhile, communities are left vulnerable to criminals and armed groups.
The bulk of the national wealth continues to circulate among politicians and political officeholders who consume over 70% of the country’s resources. The remaining 30% is left for infrastructure, salaries, social welfare, and the over 200 million Nigerians. This imbalance is neither sustainable nor moral.
Governors are not left out. Despite increased federal allocations, the average Nigerian cannot point to any meaningful development in most states. Infrastructure remains dilapidated, education is in crisis, and health facilities are in comatose condition. Their reckless spending, foreign trips, and constant borrowing have further plunged states into debt traps.
June 12 must not be reduced to a mere public holiday. It is a moral compass, a day to reflect and demand answers. MKO Abiola died believing in a Nigeria that works for all—not a country where only the elite live and the rest merely survive.
Mr. President, this is not an attack—it is an appeal for responsibility. Nigerians are not asking for much—just accountability, empathy, and fairness. Let June 12 be a reminder that history is unforgiving. What you do with power today will either immortalize you or condemn you to the dustbin of public shame.
Let the legacy of Abiola inspire justice. Let it provoke humility. Let it awaken the conscience of every leader who still has a shred of patriotism. Let June 12 remind us that democracy is not just about elections—it is about service.
May we not forget what Abiola stood for. And may we not betray it in our time.