June 18, 2026
Falana
By FEMI FALANA
The June 12, 1993, pro-democracy struggle in Nigeria is widely remembered for the resistance to military rule and the eventual transition to civilian governance. However, dominant narratives often overlook two critical aspects: the foundational role of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) and the post June 12 struggle’s international human rights litigation in a U.S. court, which remains a benchmark for assessing access to justice in weak legal systems through foreign courts.
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was established in May 1994 largely by politicians who supported Chief Abiola’s plan to claim his mandate. While NADECO is frequently credited for the later stages of the struggle, it was the CD that initiated and sustained grassroots mobilization from the outset, keeping the momentum alive until the Joint Action Committee of Nigeria was formed and led by Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN. Their contributions remain under recognized in mainstream historical accounts.
