By Majekodunmi Oseriemen Ebhohon
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has criticized the attempts to centre the history of Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle around the activities of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), following the recently concluded NADECO event organised by the coalition’s secretary and spokesperson, Ayo Opadokun, where several individuals and organisations were honoured.
In a detailed reaction to the public presentation of Opadokun’s book, Falana described “the NADECO story” as “an attempt by bourgeois politicians to claim credit for the arduous struggle of the Nigerian people for democracy.”
Referencing comments made at the event by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Falana said: “At the public presentation of Ayo Opadokun’s book yesterday, Prof Wole Soyinka rightly warned that no group should privatise the collective struggle of the Nigerian people.”
Falana argued that several civil rights and pro-democracy organisations had already been active years before NADECO was formed. According to him, “NADL, CDHR, & CLO were born in the 1980s. Even JACON was established before NADECO.”
He added: “In actuality, NADECO was born on May 31, 1994 in the house of General Adeyinka Adebayo at the GRA, Ikeja whereas the campaign against military rule commenced in 1984.”
The senior advocate also questioned the democratic credentials of some individuals who later emerged as NADECO figures, stating that “a number of the ex-military officers and politicians who later assembled in NADECO had served the military regimes of Buhari and Babangida.”
Citing an example, Falana said: “For instance, Chief Olu Falae was the greatest defender of the World Bank-induced Structural Adjustment Programme.”
He contrasted this with the resistance mounted by activists and students during the SAP era. “NANS had led students to protest against SAP while Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN was arrested and detained in Gashua in Borno State for organising an Alternative to SAP conference in Lagos,” he said.
Falana further recalled that “as NBA President, Comrade Alao Aka-Bashorun put together a team of 270 lawyers led by GOK Ajayi SAN who defended Chief Fawehinmi.”
In one of his strongest remarks, Falana stated that “the NADECO chieftains were part of the military regimes which arrested, detained and charged comrades with all manners of criminal offences including treasonable felony in the 1980s and 1990s.”
He also revisited the experiences of activists who travelled through neighbouring countries during the military era to evade state restrictions. “Have comrades forgotten that we had been travelling outside the country to attend human rights conferences abroad through Benin Republic since 1980s to avoid the seizure of our passport?” he asked.
Falana added: “Did politicians not later call it ‘the NADECO route’?”
Concluding his remarks, the lawyer said: “The NADECO story is a challenge to others to put the record straight.”