In a moving recollection, Jumoke Ogunkeyede, a United States-based leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), who has now relocated back home, has narrated some interesting and personal moments of the June 12 struggle among Nigerians abroad.
For instance, 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 Friday 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.
Responding to a claim by a former governor of Jigawa, who was then National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, that Tinubu supported the annulment of June 12, 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 now 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 instruction 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 introduced I him to the world. God gave him 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 quarreling 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 ruins. 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?
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 the 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 monopolized. 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.”
Jumoke 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 that 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.”
Ogunkeyede’s testimony offers rare insight into Tinubu’s personal pain, dedication, and role in holding the June 12 movement together while abroad, underscoring how deeply the struggle shaped his political path and commitment to Nigeria’s democracy.
