June 12: Our Lost Brother

By Abdullahi Suleiman Otiwe

Before dawn is the pregnant night
All circled by the cloud of darkness
Light they withheld by federal strength
Dream upon dream but none came to pass

Such is but single man’s fate in odd world
Facing the struggles against forces of darkness
Alas! The people gathered in bundle
To banished the rotten wood

Here comes the harvest of the year
The people’s choice irrespective of creeds
Here comes the wish of the people
Admits tribal differences, high sentiments

Here lies the ceremony day
The coin is tossed
The die is casts
The child is born, the man he is

Behold brethren I tell you
The dust came packing the wind
There is no magic for the season
The moon must forever be seized
Alas! Why the people’s light?

‘Crown me the King of my people’
‘I am the heir to their throne’
‘My people testified to this’
So said the Prince of all
His only crime that bought him jail

Behold! Pass not now in face of odds
We cast these lots in your favour
To forgive this nation you come to bless
That you may repose back us progress

Run not from here the Messiah
For here you long stood for our sake
And we have prayed you free from temptations
In the federal wilderness you slept all nights

Behold my countrymen!
June 12 has taught us hard lessons
For our brother has gone so soon
To where his mandate will be annulled no more

And we lost our brother;
In the face of threats to our freedom
And we lost our brother;
To the cruel eyes of our democracy

Here is the lost June twelfth
Found to be remembered all day
To be celebrated in the hearts of compatriots
He stood firm in defence of our conscience

Here lies the man of the people
Who answered to the call of cruelty
Ran with our given mandate
He is the sold Joseph for Penny.

In memory of the hero of June 12, Chief MKO Abiola.
Abdullahi Suleiman Otiwe wrote from Kogi State University, Anyigba.