…Says June 12 watershed in Nigeria’s history lUrges parties to adopt option A4 for conventions, congresses
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Professor Tonnie Iredia, has criticised governors and other politicians defecting from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 presidential election, likening them to herdsmen.
Iredia made these remarks, yesterday, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, during the Annual Lecture Series of the National Association of Political Correspondents (NAPOC), themed, The Legacy of Option A-4 and the June 12 election.
He argued that herdsmen destroy crops and silence anyone who complains — a behaviour he compared to that of politicians, who decamp without accountability.
According to him, when governors abandon their parties and the people raise questions, they are often suppressed, just as herders attack farmers, who resist encroachment.
Describing the June 12, 1993, presidential election as a watershed in Nigeria’s political history, Iredia emphasized that the judiciary should not decide election winners but may nullify elections and call for fresh polls.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be more accountable, stressing that only credible elections can produce good leaders.
He added that Nigeria needs strong institutions, not strong men, noting that the judges of old were far more pragmatic.
According to him, the judiciary must be held accountable, and Nigeria must evolve into a system where the people’s choices, not court rulings, determine electoral outcomes. He also called for a clear separation between political parties and government officials.
He further explained that the objective of his speech was to re-echo the views of the international community, which hailed the June 12, 1993, presidential election as the most credible in Nigeria’s history. He advocated the reintroduction of Option A-4 in party congresses and primaries, especially in regions where elections are typically marred by irregularities.
In his remarks, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, stated that the June 12 election was never meant to succeed and was designed to end in failure. Nonetheless, he said it serves as a powerful lesson for Nigeria and a reminder that democracy must be defended.
Earlier in his welcome address, NAPOC Coordinating Committee Chairman and publisher of New Americans Magazine, Deba Uwadiae, said: “The theme of today’s lecture—‘Legacy of Option A-4 and the June 12 Election’—invites us to reflect not only on a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s political history, but also on a blueprint for transparency and participatory democracy that still resonates three decades later.
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