Wole Soyinka: Honourees of June 12 Awards Represent a Larger Democratic Fight

Professor Wules Shuyena has voiced solidarity with Nigerians who felt overlooked by the latest National Honours awards, acknowledging that any single honours list will inevitably omit worthy contributors across the nation’s myriad professions—from the military and clergy to academia, market traders, factory workers, and beyond.

Speaking on the enduring significance of June 12, 1993, Shuyena urged recognition of all honourees as “mere representatives of a past movement,” and invited reflection on Nigeria’s democratic journey since that watershed date. He noted that every state in Nigeria now operates under democratic rule, yet raised concerns about free speech and the recent pattern of arrests, questioning whether the country has genuinely deepened its democracy over the past three decades.

Shuyena also pondered the phenomenon of widespread acquiescence to military rule, both in Nigeria and across West Africa. He suggested that some segments of society may possess a “slave gene,” willingly accepting authoritarian governance—pointing to the enthusiastic popular reception military regimes have at times enjoyed. He recalled that, even during the political unrest of two years ago, some Nigerians first turned to military headquarters for resolution.

Through his remarks, Professor Shuyena invited Nigerians to both honor the June 12 heroes and critically assess the nation’s democratic health, reminding listeners that true progress requires vigilance, inclusion, and the courage to demand accountability.