Book review: Why you should read Abraham Oshoko’s ‘June 12 1993: Annulment’

by Wilfred Okiche

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The June 12 saga remains one of the country’s most indelible political dramas, the biggest event of national strife since the civil war. The struggle for a return to democratic rule and one man’s quest to be administered his due brought the country to a standstill, resulting in the loss of many lives and a debacle that almost turned Nigeria into a pariah nation. While a section of the ruling class has sought to bury the hatchet and sweep everything under the carpet in the usual Nigerian style of moving on, a stubborn few have insisted in keeping the flame alive, celebrating the anniversary and penning various eye witness accounts for the records.

Abraham Oshoko, writer and illustrator is probably part of the later category.

Working heavily from extensive records kept by political magazines like The News and Tell as well as various independent accounts of that era, Oshoko distills the dizzying volumes into an easy on the eye, gripping compendium.  ‘June 12 1993: Annulment’ is the second in a proposed series of tomes that continues with ‘June 12: Declaration.’’

It begins in the aftermath of the ‘93 elections that saw the resounding victory of Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of his NRC rival Alhaji Bashir Tofa according to results tendered in court by the Campaign for Democracy, a human rights organizatiion. The then head of state, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida for reasons not entirely revealed in this book refuses to hand over to Abiola but appears in a state of helplessness as to how to get the nation (and himself) out of the unnecessary fix. Pressure is pouring in from all quarters but he refuses to budge, coming up with various schemes to stay on before surrendering in a last ditch attempt to a credibility-challenged Ernest Shonekan-led interim government.

The book also traces M.K.O Abiola’s various attempts to recover his mandate, the roles played by the Iyorchia Alu-led national assembly, the power dynamics in the military ruling class with General Sani Abacha leading one faction in Lagos and Lt Gen Joshua Dogonyaro and Brig Gen David Mark making up the rival power block in Abuja. Activities of actors like the late Shehu Musa Yar’adua, Olusegun Obasanjo, Baba Gana Kingibe and Beko Ransome-Kuti are also explored in brief detail.

June 12: Annulment is rendered in the form of a graphic novel with illustrations beautifully wrought, bringing characters heard and seen mostly on the news to life on the page. Liberties were obviously taken with creating the intense dramatic scenes but the fidelity of the story remains the same as the author captures the climatic moments of the period (June to December 1993) that make up the scope of this volume.

The characters are soundly realised and not cast as the extreme heroes or villains history has made them out to be. IBB is presented as a tortured soul, slow to making extreme decisions and even then doing so at the behest of some powers beyond him. He may be the bad guy but he is depicted most times as a soldier caught in between hell and high water. Abacha is still the replica of evil and greed but even he is still driven by the thrill of a promise made to him long ago in gratitude. MKO Abiola isn’t the astute politician he could have been, easily gullible and preferring to pander to the men in uniform where confrontation may have paid off better.

The minor players, constrained by space remaining in the book as we perceive them. Tony Anenih as chairman of the SDP is shifty as ever, Kingibe cannot quite refuse a good bargain, Shonekan is spineless and late Chuba Okadigbo is relentlessly ambitious.

Published by Farafina, the adventure is a heady one and with less than 300 pages, ‘June 12: Annulment’ can be gulped down in one breathless seating. Mixing the elements of a thriller with major dramatic heft, it entertains beautifully providing a snapshot into a pivotal period in our political history. Readers with only a passing knowledge of that era will find in this series, a useful introduction to a significant piece of history. To give the tome more credibility, there are major character profiles as well as generous quotes by the players sprinkled generously across the pages. This helps to hasten the plot and keeps things moving along fluidly, minimizing repetition and a cumbersome overbite.

The drawings are skilfully done with a more than acceptable resemblance to the real persons and a tasking attention to detail is paid to evoke the opulence of the ruling class of 90’s Nigeria. Oshoko’s world is immersive and instantly draws readers in, keeping them engaged till the end. With easy to read dialogue consisting mostly of everyday conversation, ‘June 12: Annulment’ should appeal to every kind of reader with it’s complexly rendered simplicity. It is beauty on the page and makes a compelling case for an exciting genre in the Nigerian publishing scene.

 

– The writer tweets from @drwill20

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