Tinubu's Honour and the Tragedy of Sambo Dasuki

Nigeria's Democracy Day on June 12 carried a complex irony this year, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred national honors on several pro-democracy activists. Among those recognized was Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former National Security Adviser, a figure whose political journey is marked by significant contradictions.

Both Tinubu and Dasuki were prominent in the fight against military rule. Tinubu, a senator during the aborted Third Republic, became a key financier and leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), eventually going into exile to campaign for democracy's restoration. Dasuki, then a serving military officer, openly opposed the annulment of the 1993 presidential election and worked behind the scenes with pro-democracy groups abroad, contributing to international focus on Nigeria's struggle.

However, Dasuki's story extends beyond his role in the democratic resistance. A significant irony is that the same man later imprisoned under President Muhammadu Buhari was instrumental in Buhari's rise to power. According to a 2018 interview with the former Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mustapha Jokolo, Dasuki played a pivotal role in the 1983 military coup that ended Nigeria's Second Republic.

This duality, Dasuki as both a fighter for democracy and an enabler of military rule, highlights the intricate and often unforgiving nature of Nigerian politics. The honor bestowed upon him by President Tinubu, who also resisted military dictatorship, reopened questions about loyalty, sacrifice, and the shifting allegiances that have shaped the nation's democratic evolution.

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On the surface, the recognition was appropriate. Yet for those familiar with the twists and contradictions of Dasuki’s political journey, the honour evoked something far more complex than celebration. It reopened questions about loyalty, sacrifice, betrayal, and the often-unforgiving nature of power.