Full List: 5 of the Most Controversial Political Moments in Nigeria’s History
- President Bola Tinubu's emergence as the president of Nigeria has been named as one of the controversial political moments in the country's history
- Aside from Tinubu's victory in the 2023 election, four other political events in the country fell under the controversial moments in Nigeria's politics
- Nigeria will be celebrating its 65th independence anniversary in October 2025, and the country is expected to chart a new path in its quest for prosperity
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Nigeria celebrated its 64th independence anniversary on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. This came as a result of the freedom to govern itself that the West African country got from its British colonial master in 1960.
The country has experienced several ups and downs, ranging from military coups to civil wars and several others. However, it has made significant achievements in other areas. There are some controversial political moments in the history of the country.
Source: Twitter
Below are the top five of them:
June 12, 1993, presidential election
The June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was annulled by the former military president General Ibrahim Babangida, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest presidential election in Nigerian history.
Since the former military leader annulled the poll, the event has been a recurring controversy and reference in Nigerian politics. The acclaimed winner of the poll, late Chief MKO Abiola, has been honoured, and General Babangida recently confessed that Abiola actually won the election.
Alleged Third-Term Agenda of Olusegun Obasanjo
Former Nigerian president and military head of state, Olusegun Obasanjo, was alleged to have made moves to retain the office after spending eight years of two terms between 1999 to 2007.
Obasanjo's failed third-term agenda has been recurring in Nigeria's politics since he left office in 2007. While the former president has denied spending billions of naira to achieve the agenda. However, politicians. including his Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, have come out to testify that he made the move.
Source: Twitter
EndSARS Protest and Government Response (2020)
The 2020 EndSARS protest and the government's response (2020) were one of the controversial moments in the political history of the country. The nationwide protest, which was in October 2020, was disrupted by security agencies following the failure of the protesters to disperse, even after the government received their demands.
The situation became tense and historic because the security agencies subsequently engaged the protesters with live ammunition, and some Nigerians were said to have been gunned down in the process of engagement.
2019 Onnoghen’s Removal as CJN
Former President Muhammadu Buhari removed the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, soon after resuming the office in 2019. The removal of Onnoghen in 2019 sparked nationwide condemnation and has been continuously criticised by concerned Nigerians.
While Onnoghen's removal questioned the independence of Nigeria's judiciary, the removed CJN claimed that he was removed over the rumour of meeting former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and he was not allowed to speak on the rumour.
Tinubu’s 2023 Presidential Victory & Tribunal Rulings
President Bola Tinubu's emergence as Nigerian president was very controversial because he did not win two-thirds of the total votes in the country and eventually secured a majority votes. There were several criticisms of the president, particularly about his academic record.
Challenging his victory at the Supreme Court, Atiku, who took second in the election, voyaged to the Chicago State University to reveal the discrepancies in the president's academic records and presented it as evidence to sack him before the court.
In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Barrister Titilope Anifowoshe, maintained that the forgery allegation Atiku presented before the Supreme Court against Tinubu did not hold water because the university attested that Tinubu was a graduate of the institution. She said:
"It is my contention that the issue that Alh. Atiku can tie to his forgery allegation from the Registrar's deposition the difference in the certificate that Bola Tinubu submitted to INEC, but I question whether the Registrar's deposition at CSU can be a strong basis for Atiku Abubakar's forgery allegation given that Registrar deposed to Tinubu's studentship with a valid transcript, an admission letter addressed to Bola Tinubu (a male), his graduation, his academic distinctions, and the fact that CSU handles replacement certificates for lost documents through third party."
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Source: Legit.ng
