UK: LONDON: DEMOCRACY PROTESTS OUTSIDE NIGERIAN HIGH COMMISSION

Описание: (1 Oct 1995) English/Nat

Nigeria's military ruler, General Sani Abacha, announced Sunday he will stay in power for another three years, dashing the hopes of the country's pro-democracy movement.

In a speech marking Nigeria's Independence Day, Abacha also announced he would not be releasing the country's most famous political prisoner, Moshood Abiola - declared the winner of Nigeria's last presidential election in 1993.

Meanwhile a protest rally - headed by Abiola's daughter - was held in London Sunday calling for his release.

This scene would have been unthinkable in Nigeria - protesters marking the nation's independence day by openly calling for democracy, and the release of Nigeria's most famous political prisoner, Moshood Abiola.

Abiola has been in prison for over a year, since he defied Nigeria's military ruler, General Sani Abacha, by declaring himself President on the anniversary of the annulled election he won in June 1993

Abacha, who'd promised a civilian government by January 1996, now says he'll hand power to an elected government only in October 1998.

SOUNDBITE:

Well it means that Nigeria is going to be subjected to another three years or more of a rule of tyranny and a rule of evil we must not allow that to happen. My father has the mandate of the Nigerian people to decide our future, he's in Abuja, he must be consulted, dialogue must commence immediately so that we can find a quicker route out of this problem. What Nigeria cannot afford is another three years of military misrule, of economic disaster, of human rights disasters, we must take action now.
SUPER CAPTION:Wora Abiola - Moshood Abiola's daughter

Nigeria has been in chaos since the 1993 election, when the country's ruling generals broke a promise to let civilians govern for the first time in nearly a decade.

SOUNDBITE:

It is no longer just a simple question of replacing one set of rulership with another set of rulership. In Nigeria the fabric of that society has been so poisoned, there's no so much inter-ethnic suspicion, inter-ethnic rivalry, there's now such a fundamental lack of trust between the various ethnic groups that we need these different groups to come together, sit down and say now, what do we do with this country of ours called Nigeria.
SUPER CAPTION:John Oyegun - Executive Secretary of NADECO - (Nigerian pro-democracy group)

Since then Nigeria's oil-dependent economy has crumbled under the weight of pro-democracy strikes, international isolation and corruption.

Not surprisingly, many Nigerians don't believe Abacha will keep Sunday's renewed promise to restore a civilian government and feel his options are narrowing.

SOUNDBITE:

What is required and what Abacha can do is set aside all these promises about elections and the rest of it - sit down now, today and negotiate, bring together the different interest groups and negotiate himself out of power now, today.
SUPER CAPTION:John Oyegun - Executive Secretary of NADECO - (Nigerian pro-democracy group)

In Sunday's Independence Day speech General Abacha bowed to world pressure by commuting the death sentences on 13 officers jailed for an alleged plan to overthrow him in March.

As for Abiola - regarded by most Nigerians as their elected President- he continues to be detained in solitary confinement, with little hope of an early release.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...