May day: Nigeria Celebrates Another Democracy Day.

21 years of being a democratic nation.

The self-acclaimed African Giant Nigeria, is set to celebrate another inauguration day despite the changes implemented by the incumbent president in 2018. Nigeria's democracy day used to be celebrated on May 29 after the President officially declared June 12 as the new Inauguration day. Today's event mark's an epoch, the greatest epoch in Nigerian history. May 29 is a commemoration of the successful transition of power from military rule to civilian rule in 1999. An interrugnum of  military power that lasted from 1966 to 1999 with just a brief momentum of ease in October 1, 1976 when Alhaji Shehu Shagari beat the likes of Awolowo to become the first Executive President of Nigeria.  A time of deep relief which could have lasted for ever not until 1983 when General Muhammadu Buhari (now the president) led a bloodless coup to overthrow the democratic government on account of corruption and misappropriation of public funds. An action that stripped the nation off her democratic rights. Nigeria witnessed many brutal actions and blood shedding activities from January 16, 1966 to October 1,1976. The usurpation continues with General Ibrahim Babangida who ended Buhari's regime peacefully and ruled till 1993, following an unforgettable cancellation of the June 12 Presidential free and fair elections which could have brought MKO Abiola into power as the Second Executive President of Nigeria. In the midst of that furore, power was delegated to a legal practitioner (attorney or lawyer) named Earnest Shonekan who was deputised by by General Sanni Abacha. The deputised General Sanni Abacha took  the reigns of power from the former to become the new head of state. June 1998, recorded the death of General Sanni Abacha while MKO Abiola ( the winner of 1993 presidential election which was cancelled) was also forced unto the cold hands of death a month after General Sanni Abacha's death. Abdulsalami Abubakar took over and promised to hand over the power to the next democratic elected President. The 1999 gubernatorial election saw Olusegun Obasanjo of People's Democracy Power party (PDP) emerged the winner beating Olu Falae of  Alliance of Democracy party as his opponent.  So far the ancients have left us a model in which we are still unable to accustom ourselves to the hard fought democracy. The big question to ask ourselves is that is this the democracy we all wished for?
Twenty one years gone down the drain yet Nigeria is still struggling,crawling and lagging behind other independent nation's. What have we ultimately achieved as a democratic nation since the abandonment of the military rule in 1999? Politically,  socio-economically and infrastructurally? How well has the country faired?