Col. Umar, the Unremembered June 12 Hero.
_If you don’t show appreciation to those that deserve it, they will learn to stop doing things you appreciate”-_
By Ike Abonyi.
_If you don’t show appreciation to those that deserve it, they will learn to stop doing things you appreciate”-_ Unknown
There are lots of real-time stories about June 12 that will never be told because of the interest of the record keepers.
Many books have been written about June 12, including the latest from the master himself, General Ibrahim Babangida, but all kept some real stories away from the public. For instance, the origin of June 12 was a personal agreement between three intimate friends, Gen Babangida, the then military President and his bosom friend, business mogul Chief Moshood Abiola, to conduct a dummy election that would end up returning Babangida to power in agbada while dropping his khaki. The popularity of Abiola as a foremost philanthropist in the country was to be exploited even though he was not seen in military circles as the right man for President then.
Chief Abiola had made most of his money through the military and could be trusted for any deal as a payback time. The third person in the plot, a close friend of Babangida who was privy to this deal, was General Sani Abacha, his strong ally within the military circle. But the bubble burst when power came their way, both Abiola and Abacha failed their friend. Abiola, pushed by democracy activists, jettisoned his friend Babangida, and Abacha, driven by ambition, took advantage of the confusion on the ground, and all died in the process.
Basically, the failure of these two men to keep to their plot of enthroning Gen Babangida as an elected President began the disruption that led to June 12.
But this conversation is actually not about the June 12 story but essentially on its fallout arising from the celebration of the day this year, 2025.
Since APC came to power they have been striving to exploit the sentiment of Nigerians on June 12. Muhammadu Buhari began it by restoring the June 12 election winner and awarding victory posthumously to Chief Abiola. As a result, Chief Abiola and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, were given the highest national honour. The National Stadium in Abuja, built by Olusegun Obasanjo, was named after Abiola ostensibly to injure Obasanjo, who was not a fan of Abiola, even though the duo are of the Egba clan in Ogun state.
In the same way that the International Conference Centre, built by Babangida in 1991, was renovated and named after President Tinubu in 2025, an irrational gifting from the garrulous FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, that has significantly provoked Nigerians. Tinubu’s fixation on naming legacy projects not built by him after himself has made Nigerians brace for the possibility that Aso Rock, the seat of power, may be renamed after Tinubu before the regime's tenure ends; all he needs to do is put a few billion naira down for renovation to enable the change. The state capture policy of the administration is unmistakable and reasonable steps are being taken to achieve that. Stopping from where Buhari stopped, in 2025, the Tinubu administration lined up some June 12 activists and sympathisers for national awards.
Public reactions to this were mixed, but largely the gesture was highly welcomed, especially as hitherto forgotten June 12 heroes like the late Chairman of the then National Electoral Commission, NEC, Prof Humphrey Nwosu, whose stubborn but principled position actually created June 12 in the first place. The inclusion of his name this time for an award generated positive reactions even though, the Commander of the Niger, CON they gave him was unbefitting of his critical role. His deserving inclusion tried to heal the wound caused by federal government indifference when he was buried early this year.
But in the characteristics of this administration, the award reflected the nepotism that has become synonymous with them. Names like Col Abubakar Dangiwa Umar rtd, Olisa Agbakoba, Ralph Obiora, Pat Utomi, Arthur Nwankwo etc were conspicuously missing.
This week I intend to discuss particularly the yeoman role of Col Umar in the June 12 impasse, even as he has continued to be unremembered, while those who took less risk were accommodated.
In the June 12 struggle, Col. Umar, a Fulani, remains a hero in that pivotal moment in Nigeria's history of the military’s annulment of the presidential election won by Chief MKO Abiola. Umar as a serving military officer, showed remarkable courage by speaking out against the annulment and advocating for the restoration of Abiola's mandate. His action, which helped to up the agitation, led to significant personal cost, including the abrupt end of his fine-growing military career.
Col Umar reportedly wrote a letter that was leaked to the press to his Commander in Chief, then President Babangida resigning his commission due to the annulment. He boldly criticised the military regime, under the watch of General Babangida, for foisting an avoidable crisis on the country.
By that action, Col Umar as a soldier became a huge advocate for democracy. Even as a member of the military family, COL Umar believed in the importance of upholding the people's mandate and allowing the winner of the June 12 election, MKO Abiola, to take office. Although his role is well known to many, his name was conspicuously missing when some June 12 heroes were recognised by President Tinubu.
Umar's story serves as a testament to the bravery and conviction of individuals who fought for democracy in Nigeria. Even more significant was that he was a Fulani fighting for a Yoruba and a military man advocating for a civilian. What was important to him was the rule of law for everyone involved, regardless of their religion or tribe. His concern was justice for whoever deserves it.
When Gen Babangida launched his autobiography early this year, confessing truly that Chief Abiola won the 1993 Presidential election and that the annulment was in error, one had thought that people like Col Umar, who suffered career disruption for standing for truth, would have been recommended for compensation by both government and the military.
His mates who kept mute at injustice and rose to even become Generals were beneficiaries of error while the person fighting for justice suffered.
This is the bane of our problems in this land: those who should be in jail are outside and occupying top positions, determining the fate of the innocent.
Those who view things pragmatically and who refuse to be swayed by the sentiments of tribe, religion or region, like Col Umar, are never allowed to have their way. Otherwise, why should Col Umar be forgotten when the roll call of June 12 heroes is compiled, because the recorders are never excited at such bravery that is anti-establishment and may be too parochial to look outside their cocoons.
The incongruous nature of our polity that has kept our democracy pedestrians is due to the regrettable fact that the likes of Col Umar missed their place in the decision-making process in the land.
There is no way a regime that has made nepotism essential in its reward system, like the one we have now, will remember a Fulani man, no matter the significance of his contributions.
Why nepotism is antithetical to good governance is that the practice undermines merit and promotes corruption. It often focuses on the unfairness, inefficiency, and ultimately hurts the nation.
Where nepotism prevails, a Nigerian writer and author, Michael Bassey Johnson says, “the best jobs in town are usually reserved for the politician’s distant cousins” and so it’s in reward system and explains why a Col Umar will remain unremembered despite his heroic role on June 12 struggle because we are in an era of Emilokan where everything juicy goes to the table of the man in charge. What nepotism does to merit is tantamount to what a termite does to pillars. When a job or anything is tailored to be for the boys, merit will not be factored in, there will be no look beyond blood and border, everything will be within the fringe of family, religion and tribe.
The direct consequences of that are that good heads will be sidelined and made to be off the scene as Nigeria lost the brain and invaluable contributions of Col Umar since the system edged him out.
I would therefore like to call on the military and the government to look critically at the case of Col Umar, who truncated his bright career in military fighting for a just society, but has remained forgotten and unrewarded.
When Col Umar dared his commander in chief and made the huge sacrifice of his career and his future, he was acting on principles that justice is what can grow a nation. When a good deed is recognised, it gets reinforced because it helps to unlock the treasure of human potential. Col Umar, as a soldier, broke his back and ignored his democratic needs, yet the nation never appreciated him. No team that ignores its best eleven and hires a third-rate coach will expect to win a trophy. God help us.
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