Zwingina: Forgotten Cornerstone Of June 12
By Simon Reef Musa
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced national honours last year for those who played remarkable roles in the June 12 struggles, one name was missing: Dr Jonathan Silas Zwingina, who passed away on 3rd October 2024 in Abuja after celebrating his 70th birthday. His rise to national prominence began in 1987 when the former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, appointed him the State Director of Old Gongola State for Mass Mobilisation for Self-Reliance, Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER). Before his eventual deployment to Plateau State, Zwingina, while serving in the old Gongola State (now Adamawa), was a victim of conspiratorial schemes aimed primarily at removing him from the corridors of power. His superlative performance as the Campaign Manager for Chief Olu Falae, who was later banned, alongside General Musa Shehu Yar’Adua, led to his appointment as Campaign Manager for Chief MKO Abiola. He would later be promoted to become the Director General of the Hope ’93 Campaign for Abiola. As one of the cornerstones of the SDP presidential campaign, this intellectual strategist worked from within to influence key issues that underpinned the strategies that led to Abiola’s triumph at the Jos Convention, where he defeated strong opponents like Atiku Abubakar and Babagana Kingibe.
Along with others, such as Chief Lamidi Adedibu, the late DG served as a bridge in providing strategies to help the SDP presidential campaign navigate bumps as Abiola worked to emerge as the SDP’s presidential candidate and winner of the 1993 poll. Even when others had abandoned the businessman, the man who later rose to represent Adamawa South from 1999 to 2007, stood firm by his boss. Before his demise on 2nd October 2024, I was privileged to be part of his efforts to recount his roles in the revalidation of the annulled June 12 poll. I am sure that his family will conclude plans to present Zwingina’s memoir on the dynamics and dialectics of the annulled election.
The temporal exclusion of Zwingina from the June 12 honour list is akin to forgetting the honest efforts of a Nigerian who gave his best to a cause he believed was in Nigerians’ interest. To deny Zwingina the honour for his role in the June 12 debacle is an attempt to rewrite history. The continuous non-recognition of the late lawmaker remains a grievous oversight that must not be allowed to linger. I am appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redress this embarrassing oversight and quickly honour Abiola’s chief campaigner, who gave his full measure in the struggle to revalidate the annulled June 12.
To recognise devoted service posthumously inspires others to give their best, even when they are not appreciated while alive. Zwingina paid his dues, and it is only fair and appropriate to honour him for his role in restoring democracy. No doubt, June 12 has remained a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic struggle. However, we can never truly honour the essence of this awe-inspiring epoch without honouring those who gave their all in the struggle. A nation is best assessed for its willingness to serve justice to the dead than to the living. Mr President, it is never too late to honour Senator Zwingina for his rare contributions to keeping the flame of democracy alive.
Born on 1st August 1954, in Falu village, Guyuk Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Zwingina was a first-class graduate of the University of Ibadan. He worked as an academic staff at the then College of Preliminary Studies, Yola (now State Polytechnic Yola) and obtained his PhD from an Australian University. As a distinguished scholar whose cerebral prowess was widely acknowledged, he led a life characterised by rigorous academic inquiry and activism in support of causes of justice. Like many Nigerians of his time who came from the backwaters of society, he proved himself worthy of trust and excellence.
After embarking on an inspiring journey of academic excellence that culminated in his PhD in Political Science, the Adamawa-born man was a man of many colours who refused to be daunted by his origins. From the ethnic group called Lunguda, Zwingina left a sterling record of intellectualism, combined with activism that promotes justice for all, irrespective of ethnic and religious divides. A fearless leader whose profound humility was deep, the former Senate Majority Leader left sterling footprints of legislative excellence on the sands of time.
*Simon Reef, a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and columnist, can be reached via: simonreef927@gmail.com