How Tinubu Wept in US Over Divided June 12 Groups, NADECO Leader Opens Up, Slams Lamido

• Jumoke Ogunkeyede, a NADECO leader, recounted how President Tinubu once broke down in tears over divisions within June 12 pro-democracy groups abroad
• Speaking on Channels TV, Ogunkeyede dismissed claims by Sule Lamido that Tinubu supported the annulment of the 1993 presidential election
• Ogunkeyede also lamented the exclusion of key diaspora activists from the June 12 honours list and reflected on personal sacrifices, including his firebombed house during the Abacha regime

Abuja, FCT - In what is seen as a moving recollection, Jumoke Ogunkeyede, a United States-based leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), who has now relocated back home, narrated some interesting and personal moments of the June 12 struggle among Nigerians abroad.

Ogunkeyede, a US-based NADECO official, being the Chairman of the United Committee to Save Nigeria, formed in New York after the annulment of the June 12 1993, election, narrated how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu once broke down in tears over the disunity among June 12 pro-democracy groups abroad.

He spoke on Friday, June 27, on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, recounting Tinubu’s passionate commitment to unifying the warring factions during the struggle to restore the June 12 mandate.

Legit.ng notes that the NADECO leader spoke amid the claim by a former governor of Jigawa, who was then National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sule Lamido, that Tinubu supported the annulment of June 12.

He also claimed that Tinubu only became active in the pro-democracy struggle after General Sani Abacha took power

Lamido is wrong, says Ogunkeyede

Responding to the claim, Ogunkeyede said:

“I'm sorry to say he must have been drinking something. President Tinubu stood up for things. Let me tell you an instance.

“We were having lunch in Alexandria with Chief Anthony Enahoro. As at the time we finished eating, should we ask Papa Enahoro to go and clean the dishes?

“At that point, President Tinubu was almost shedding tears, saying, 'Look at where we found ourselves. Well, this must be a struggle that must be completed. When he was also giving instructions to go and bring all the diasporans and democrats together, people who are involved in this struggle.

“President Tinubu came to me in New York, and I introduced him to the world. God gave him the grace to be able to bring all the warring, disagreeing parties together in the struggle in New York."

Continuing, he said:

“Well, I hope the president will forgive me. I saw him. He started to cry. He was wearing a light brown suit. He was crying that we are doing all of this for a nation, and you guys are still quarrelling amongst yourselves.

“Why don't we forget our disagreement and unify to make sure that we have a Nigeria of our dreams? Yes, because I welcomed Tinubu to New York at that time.

“Other people who were in New York at that meeting will attest to what I just said. He worked his heart out to make sure that Nigeria does not go to ruin. So we're grateful that he's now the president of Nigeria.

“But collaboratively, we made sure that the hands of Abacha did not prevail. By the grace of God, I'm glad to be alive to be part of this struggle that we're continuing.

“I mean, the democracy that we are enjoying. Hopefully, this will not be the end of Nigeria. At a particular point in time, people were wondering, will Nigeria survive?

Ogunkeyede speaks on June 12 honours list

Responding to the honour list of names included in the President’s June 12 speech, Ogunkeyede said:

“Those of us who carried on fighting for this nation should not have been forgotten. Not me alone. There are so many of them. But a few of them put their lives on the line. I am among the first ten.

“I don't know too many who lost their homes except General [Alani] Akinrinade and a few others who left their homes during the struggle. My house was firebombed on June 15, 1996. We were to start a vigil for Kudirat on the 17th of June of the same year.

“And I had on a shirt. I could not sleep in my home. We were just trying to do our best to make sure, in spite of the fact that some of us did not live in Nigeria then.

“Many other people participated in this struggle. It's not something that should be monopolised. As I said, there is no way a person like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would remember everybody, but some of us are very significant in the role we play.”

Ogunkeyede speaks on US encounter with Kingibe

Ogunkeyede also recalled an encounter in the US with Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe, thus:

“Yes, and I had to tell him that Chief Abiola made you [Baba Gana Kingibe] the Vice President of Nigeria and you are now making yourself a second fiddle. Why would you be defending Abacha that we should be begging him to release Abiola?

"For several nights, several months, I never slept in my home, but I gained a lot from Chief Anthony Enahoro, who taught me how to maintain or sustain a struggle.

“It's my joy. I'm not a young man anymore. It's my joy that this struggle was consummated and we got results and I'm very happy that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in charge of this ship of state and I'm sure it will land in glorious places.”

Presidency reacts to Lamido’s claims on Tinubu’s June 12 role

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Presidency said Lamido and the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993, Tony Anenih, surrendered the people's mandate without resistance.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said Lamido and Anenih teamed up with the defeated National Republican Convention to deny MKO Abiola his mandate.

The Presidential aide said it is well-known that Tinubu played a leading role in the agitation against the June 12 annulment.

Source: Legit.ng