In 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.
For instance, Ogunkeyede, a US-based NADECO official and Chairman of the United Committee to Save Nigeria, which was formed in New York after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, recounted how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu once broke down in tears over the disunity among June 12 pro-democracy groups abroad.
He spoke on 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 the 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 what was right. Let me give you an example.
“We were having lunch in Alexandria with Chief Anthony Enahoro. By the time we finished eating, should we have asked Papa Enahoro to go and clean the dishes?
“At that point, President Tinubu was almost in tears, saying, ‘Look at where we have found ourselves. This must be a struggle that must be completed.’ He was also giving instructions to bring together all the diaspora and democratic activists who were 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 bring all the warring, disagreeing parties together in the struggle in New York.”
Continuing, he said, “Well, I hope the President will forgive me, but I saw him—he started to cry.
“He was wearing a light brown suit. He was crying, saying, ‘We are doing all of this for a nation, and you guys are still quarreling amongst yourselves.
“Why don’t we forget our disagreements and unify to ensure we have the Nigeria of our dreams?’
“Yes, I welcomed Tinubu to New York at that time.
“Other people who were at that meeting in New York will attest to what I just said. He worked his heart out to ensure that Nigeria did not go to ruins. So, we’re grateful that he is 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 and to have been part of this struggle that is still ongoing.
“I mean, the democracy we are enjoying today—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 roll 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 just me alone. There are so many others.
“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 that same year.
“I had on just a shirt. I could not sleep in my home. We were simply doing our best, even though some of us didn’t live in Nigeria then.
“Many others participated in this struggle. It’s not something that should be monopolized. As I said, there’s no way a person like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could remember everyone, but some of us played very significant roles.”
Ogunkeyede also recalled an encounter in the U.S. with Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe:
“Yes, and I had to tell him: Chief Abiola made you [Baba Gana Kingibe] the Vice President of Nigeria, and now you are reducing yourself to second fiddle. Why would you be defending Abacha, saying we should be begging him to release Abiola?
“For several nights and months, I never slept in my home, but I gained a lot from Chief Anthony Enahoro, who taught me how to maintain and sustain a struggle.
“It’s my joy. I’m not a young man anymore. It’s my joy that this struggle was consummated, that we got results. And I’m very happy that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in charge of this ship of state. 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.
