At the peak of military persecution, many of the then pro-democracy activists, including his leader in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Anthony Enahoro, fled the country and went into exile. Abraham Adesanya remained at home, working for the cause of the Nigerian masses alongside such figures as Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Olisa Agbakoba and a host of others. The Nigerian pro-democracy movement's victories were few and far between at this period - first, the independent press was gagged, then a number of people agitating for a return to civilian rule were arrested. Chief Adesanya acted as the champion of the ordinary Nigerian regardless of the danger to his person, persistently condemning General Ibrahim Babangida’s annulment of the 12 June Presidential election that had been won by Chief MKO Abiola. When General Sanni Abacha, Babangida's successor, attempted to transform from a military head of state to a civilian president, Adesanya made certain that both he and NADECO remained a thorn in the General's side. When democracy was finally restored in 1999, he joined other prominent Nigerians in overseeing the transition from military rule. These feats saw both him and his group come into the international limelight, featuring in reported news and commentaries about Nigeria.
