At a recent event commemorating the June 12 anniversary, several prominent figures from that historic era gathered to share their perspectives during the inaugural installment of an annual lecture series. Organised by the National Association of Political Correspondents (NAPOC 90s), the group aptly entitled their lecture series “The Legacy of Option A-4 and June 12 Election,” marking a significant moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
June 12, 1993, remains etched in Nigeria’s collective memory as the day the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola emerged victorious in that year’s presidential election. The General Ibrahim Babangida era was characterised by extensive political engineering and a protracted transition to civilian rule, culminating in the historic election that saw Chief Abiola of the Social Democratic Party triumph over his rival from the National Republican Party. However, this democratic victory proved ephemeral, as the election results were subsequently annulled, setting in motion a prolonged and arduous struggle for the restoration of civilian democratic governance.
The annulment triggered a tumultuous period that would not see resolution until 1999, following the deaths of key political figures. General Sani Abacha, the military head of government, passed away, followed a month later by Chief Abiola himself, just as the government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar was preparing for his release. After years of sustained agitation and democratic advocacy, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari officially recognised Abiola’s victory in 2019, declaring June 12 a national public holiday in honour of his supreme sacrifice for Nigeria’s democratic ideals.
As part of this year’s commemorative activities, NAPOC assembled distinguished media personalities and pro-democracy activists not merely to celebrate Abiola’s legacy, but to honour the democratic process and the individuals whose contributions made that election exemplary. Central to these tributes were Option A-4 and Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the National Electoral Commission chairman whose innovative ideas, unwavering dedication, and vigilant oversight brought unprecedented integrity to what is widely regarded as the “freest and fairest” election in Nigeria’s electoral history.
During the first Annual Lecture Series organised by NAPOC 90s, former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who served as chairman of the occasion, emphasised how citizens’ votes genuinely counted under the Option A-4 system deployed by Nwosu. The system ensured that election results were announced immediately after counting at polling units, eliminating opportunities for electoral manipulation. Dr. Tony Iredia, former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, reinforced this sentiment, advocating the adoption of Option A-4 in contemporary electoral processes, particularly in party primaries and congresses.
Ihedioha further elaborated on the system’s transparency, noting that under Option A-4, votes were counted and results announced immediately at polling units, leaving no room for electoral fraud. He contrasted this with contemporary challenges, observing that while today’s elections are plagued by technical “glitches,” Option A-4 eliminated such concerns entirely.
Option A-4 represented a genuinely homegrown and innovative electoral mechanism introduced during the Babangida military administration. The system required voters to physically queue behind images representing their preferred political parties or candidates. Votes were counted immediately in full public view, with results declared instantly at each polling location. The June 12 election, conducted using this transparent methodology, defied conventional expectations of Nigerian electoral processes. It was free, credible, and universally acceptable.
The subsequent annulment of such a transparently conducted election came as a profound shock to Nigerians, contributing to the romanticisation of both the election and the Option A-4 system that continue to this day. Given the persistent controversies surrounding subsequent elections, their widespread rejection due to endemic rigging and corruption, Nigerians continue to recall Option A-4 with nostalgic appreciation more than three decades later.
The deterioration of electoral integrity became so pronounced that President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua acknowledged in 2007 that the election that brought him to power was fundamentally flawed. He established the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee to address systemic issues and restore electoral integrity. Tragically, Yar’Adua’s death prevented the implementation of his planned reforms to correct the structural and legal deficiencies undermining Nigeria’s electoral system.
Since then, the situation has deteriorated further, with elections becoming thoroughly compromised, where results are brazenly manipulated. Even successive electoral reforms introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, have failed to eliminate electoral fraud. Contemporary elections have devolved into contests of financial and political influence, where victories are stolen in broad daylight and aggrieved parties are cynically advised to seek redress in courts that often favour the wealthy and politically connected.
For NAPOC members who served as hands-on journalists reporting on Option A-4’s effectiveness, along with stakeholders, politicians, and ordinary Nigerians who witnessed its practical success, the system represented a genuine opportunity to restore faith in Nigeria’s electoral process. After numerous failed attempts with alternative systems, all of which have been systematically violated by the political establishment, the time has come to return to a proven methodology. Option A-4 remains, without question, the most successful electoral system Nigeria has ever implemented, offering a pathway back to electoral credibility and democratic legitimacy.