MMORTALISATION of the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief Moshood Abiola and the recognisiton of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day reverbrated in some parts of the country yesterday.
Across the Southwest region, pro-democracy activists assembled to mark the 23rd anniversary of the election, acclaimed by local and international observers as the freest and fairness in the country.
The election was aborted by the President Ibrahim Babangida led-military administration when the results were being announced.
In Oyo and Osun States, governors Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola decraled today public holiday and urged the Federal Government to do the needful.
Their counterpart in Lagos, Akinwumi Ambode said the entrenehment of an enduring democracy and good governance renamed the best way to immortalise Abiola, who paid the Supreme sacrifice in the struggle for democratic rule.
Holiday in Oyo, as Ajimobiwants Abiola immortalised
Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday declared today a public holiday in commemoration of the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The Special Adviser, Communication & Strategy to the Governor, Mr. Yomi Layinka, conveyed the governor’s decision in a statement yesterday.
The statement described June 12 as a watershed in the nation’s history, because of the significance of the day in the democratic journey, having broken all ethnic and religious barriers.
It reads: “The annulled election is yet to be matched in terms of freeness, fairness, transparency, openness and widespread acceptability. Much as the electoral umpire that midwifed subsequent elections had tried, the annulled election remains the best in terms of organisation and no system adopted for the conduct of subsequent elections is yet to match Option A4 used to conduct the June 12 election.
“Besides, the resolve of Nigerians to put aside their differences and troop out en masse to collectively vote for a positive change was a demonstration of the fact that Nigerians were not ready to negotiate the unity of the country even in the face of diversity.
“That the symbol of the annulled election, Chief MKO Abiola, opted to pay the supreme price to defend his mandate has deepened democracy and the price he paid is what the comfort the political leaders are enjoying up till today.
“I want to, once again, urge the Federal Government to immortalise and officially recognize Abiola as a former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to confer on him the highest honour in the land befitting of a former president.”
He urged political leaders to be prepared to leave their comfort zones in defence democracy, warning that they should not allow parochial interests to overshadow the collective interests.
The statement further said: “There is no doubt that the late Abiola won the election, despite failed attempts by those that contested the election with him to twist facts and re-write history.
“We must keep the memory of Abiola alive and the least we can do is to continue to commemorate the day and bring out its fond memories as a lesson in electoral transparency and openness.
“We should not forget him as he remains one of the greatest martyrs this country has ever produced, so that generations yet unborn will know that somebody laid down his life in defence of democracy and the rule of law. His death in custody of the then Federal Government is known to God and may his soul continue to rest in perfect peace.”
How to immortalise MKO Abiola, by Ambode
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday called for the entrenchment of viable democracy in the country, saying it remained the best way immortalise what the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O Abiola, stood for.
This, he said can be achieved through the practice of true federalism.
The governor, who spoke at a forum organised by the state government to mark the 23rd anniversary of June 12, said the country owes the late Abiola a duty to entrench democracy in the system and practice it the right way.
It was at the Blue Roof, Lagos Television (LTV 8), on Lateef Kayode Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Speaking on the theme: “Democracy and inclusiveness: Basis for good governance,” Ambode, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello, said June 12 would continue to be remembered. He said the country must be prepared to travel through the journey of ensuring the right things are done in proper ways.
Ambode said: “This is a day we must continue to remember because we have been practicing democracy and at the end of the day, we are not actually doing what we should be doing. If you look at the topic of today, it says democracy and its inclusiveness, what we have today, we still have a long way to go, and that is to say that we are not practicing true federalism.
“What we owe Nigeria today is nothing but true Federalism and for us to be able to achieve true federalism, we have to work hard for it and that is the message the governor has asked me to deliver.
“We still have a long way to go. If you want to live by Abiola’s memory, if you want to honour him, we owe him a duty to ensure that we install a viable democracy and that viable democracy can only be installed if we have true federalism which we are presently not practicing, and that is very important.”
The governor added that the federating units of the country must be allowed to develop at their own pace, saying that it was important for the country address the very evident wrongs of the past.
He said: “For us in Lagos here, Lagos as it is today has everything to stand by its own. We run the police, we have the most viable infrastructure in the whole country, yet we are not given what we deserve.
“Look at the number of local governments we have, if we run true federalism, we would not be having 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and 20 local governments. We should be able to create the number of local governments that we desire.”
In his remarks, a former military administrator, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd.) painted a gloomy picture when he said: “We are at this time struggling to build and we may still have the chance to build the country but it is a dwindling chance.
“Whatever is happening now in the country either militancy, Independent People Of Biafra and others will not stop until we go back to the Nigeria that we are expected to build; a federal Nigeria.
“We should brace up and be prepared. Prayer will not solve the problem. We have to get back to a federal Nigeria. If not, we should be prepared because what we are seeing is just a child’s play. I have not lost faith in the country’s old anthem.”
Also speaking, the former General Secretary of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and Convener of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms (CODER), Ayo Opadokun, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently recognise late Abiola as a former President of Nigeria and name a national monument after him.
Opadokun lamented that it was unfortunate that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who he described as the major beneficiary of the June 12 struggle, failed to accord Abiola the due recognition throughout his eight-year tenure, but urged the Federal Government to write the wrongs to Abiola by paying his family for the crippling of his businesses during the struggle.
He said it was unthinkable that Nigeria, as the eightth largest exporter of oil, still has the poorest population in the world, adding that the country may not get out of the wood until the restructuring of the skewed and lopsided structure.
Opadokun also called for urgent address of injustice in the system, saying the federation must be reconfigured for equality and total removal of the traces of injustice and unfairness.
He said: “For instance, in 1960, there were four political divisions in Lagos and two in Kano. As we speak, Jigawa State has been created out of Kano with 27 local government areas, while Kano itself has 44, making a total of 71. Lagos, on the other hand, has just 20 local government areas. This is injustice.
“Something must be wrong with us. Something wonderful is wrong with Nigeria. Let me say here that Nigeria will never get out of the wood until we restructure this skewed, warped and lopsided national structure. We will continue to grope in the dark. We will never find our bearing until we restructure the country.”
Aregbesola insists June 12 most suitable for Democracy Day
IF Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has his way; June 12 would be declared Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
Declaring today a s a public holiday in the Living Spring state, the governor described June 12 as the most suitable and proper day as the anniversary of democracy. He spoke in an address delivered to mark the 23rd anniversary of June 12 1993 presidential election, the result of which was annulled by former President Ibrahim Babangida.
According to him, it was the date Nigerians freely elected a candidate of their choice and a day they unequivocally affirmed the unity of the country.
He maintained that lovers of democracy would remain committed to June 12 as a political watershed in the annals of the nation, saying May 29 only symbolises the day the military handed over the affairs of the country to a democratically elected government.
According to him, Nigerians united 23 years ago to vote the acclaimed winner of the annulled presidential election, the late MKO Abiola without recourse to religion, ethnicity or ideology.
Also yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, pro-democracy activists staged a rally in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the annulled election.
Led by some activists, the activists staged a walk from Ayetoro junction to the Freedom Park, where their leaders addressed a rally.
At the rally were: Chief Amitolu Shitu, Waheed Lawal, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade, Waheed Saka, Toyin Eweje, Rahamon Shenge, Wale Balogun and Wale Adebisi.
The activist took their turns to address the people and spoke on the significance of June 12 election to the nation’s democracy.
Proposing to the Federal Government to recognise June 12 as Democracy Day instead of May 29, they commended Aregbesola for declaring today as public holiday in Osun State to mark the annulment of June 12, 1993 election and for remembrance of late Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola believed to have won the election that was adjudged as the freest and fairest election in the country.
They urged other governors to emulate Aregbesola by giving due recognition to June 12, lamenting that Nigerians have not enjoyed adequate dividends of democracy.
Lagos State House Assembly
Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, has described the June 12, 1993 presidential election as the fountain from which the present democratic dispensation derived its source.
Obasa made the remarks in a statement by his spokesman Musbau Rasak on the 23rd celebration of the historic election.
He said: “It was an historic election which was adjudged the freest, fairest and most peaceful election not only in Nigeria but also in the continent of Africa. It is indeed a watershed in Nigeria’s political history and a moment of joy for the people. The ultimate triumph of the people’s will over brute force”.
According to Obasa, perhaps without June 12 election and the struggle to actualise it, the country might still be wallowing under military dictatorship.
“June 12 opened our eyes to the beauty of democracy and the need to achieve it. It was the foundation on which the present political dispensation is built. Thus, all of us in the present political class are beneficiaries of its essence”, he said.
The Speaker urged appropriate authorities to recognise the heroes and heroines, who sacrificed their lives for the enthronement of democracy, naming the late Chief MKO Abiola, his wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola as parts of such heroes and heroines, deserving national recognition.
“They paid the supreme price for all of us to enjoy this particular democracy hence they deserved to be honoured by the Federal Government and that is why I am in support of those calling for making June 12 our Democracy Day,” he said.
According to him, marking June 12 has become an annual ritual for the progressives because its advent gave birth to the present democracy and “we must continue to celebrate it and remind ourselves of its significance in our political history”.
Mimiko pledges commitment to June 12 ideals
In Akure, the Ondo State capital, Governor Olusegun Mimiko said a noted that the late Chief Moshood Abiola’s foray into politics was informed by his desire to upgrade the living standard of the underprivileged.
In a statement by his Information and Orientation Commissioner Kayode Akinmade, the governor said his administration has been marking the anniversaries of the freest election won by the late politician but annulled by the military in the Sunshine State with lectures and symposia and celebration of life-changing projects dedicated to MKO’s memory.
He noted that the free shuttle buses were inaugurated for school children on June 12, 2012 with 39 vehicles and increased the fleet to 90 a year later.
Akinmade quoted the governor as speaking at the Adegbemile Cultural Centre during this year’s anniversary of June 12, 1993.
The statement reads: “Mimiko had promised that we shall continue to honour these patriots, not just in rhetorics but by the actualization of the noble values of good governance and democracy which many of them lived and died for.
“We shall continue to consolidate on our numerous programmes targeted at improving the lives of the people and residents of our state, and focus on the governance content of June 12.
“As we remember June 12, we, as critical stakeholders in the project Nigeria, must continually play the game with the sole aim of deepening the country’s democratic culture and peaceful co-existence among the various political, religious, ethnic and socio-economic entities.”
Akeredolu tasks leaders
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) former president Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), commended the resilience and sacrifice of Nigerians which culminated in the enthronement of democratic governance.
Akeredolu, a governorship aspirant in Ondo State on the platform of the All Progressives Party (APC), praised Nigerians for consolidating on the enthronement of democracy by voting into power the progressives at the federal level and in many states in last year’s general elections.
According to him, the journey to last year’s victory began with the June 12, 1993 presidential election, believed to have been won by the late Chief Moshood Kashinmawo Abiola. He said the annulled results of the June 12, 1993 presidention election, remained the indisputable foundation and the offshoot for free and fair elections.
In statement released by the Aketi Media Group (AMG) to mark the 23rd anniversary of the June 1993 presidential poll, Akeredolu urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent and realistic decision to honour the late Abiola and others who paid the supreme price for the enthronement of democracy.
He argued that honouring the late Abiola and others is perfectly in agreement with the National Anthem that the labour of our heroes shall not be in vain.
Akeredolu said “I want to plead with President Muhhamadu Buhari to use his good offices to honour MKO Abiola and the others who contributed in no small measures to the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria.
“Such gesture, I am sure will give birth to a new generation of Nigerians who will be will to sacrifice for their fatherland, knowing that such sacrifice would not be in vain.”
The former NBA chief, while commending the resilience and dedication of the National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the party to the ethos of democracy, hailed some states in the Southwest for declaring June 12 a public holiday in honour of Abiola and all the heroes of democracy in Nigeria.
“As Nigerians commemorate this great milestone, we must continue to hold our leaders accountable and ensure zero tolerance for impunity and subversion of popular will of the people. No society thrives in an atmosphere of arbitrariness. We must defend the ideals of democracy and put the interest of the people far above personal, egocentric and hegemonic desires of a privileged few”, Akeredolu declared.
Kinsmen demand presidential benefits
MEMBERS of the family of the winner of the botched June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, yesterday called on the Federal Government to declare him a “slain president” and pay his presidential entitlements to them, even as they rued the golden opportunity denied him to govern Nigeria.
They said the harrowing experience buffeting Nigerians today due to economic downturn, would have not arisen had MKO Abiola been allowed to lead the country and placed it on the path of wealth and greatness.
The head of the Abiola family, Chief Muritala Abiola, a younger brother of the late business magnate, made the disclosure in a chat with reporters in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, shortly after receiving the train of the Democracy Day rally.
The rally was organised by the Ogun State Government at the Oja – Agbo, the ancestral home of the Abiolas in the ancient town in commemoration of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, presumed to have been won by late M.K.O Abiola.
The Democracy Walk, was led by Deputy Governor Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga in the company of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Taiwo Adeoluwa, Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker Suraju Ishola and the Head of Service (HoS), Elder Sola Adeyemi, among others.
Muritala said the “poverty” in the land which is biting Abiola’s family members harder, has also not spared the rest of Nigerians.
According to him, had his brother and bread winner of the family, been allowed to use the mandate freely given by Nigerians to lead, he would surely have turned the country into another Kuwait in this part of the world.
He said: “We feel the impact of his death because he is the breadwinner of the family. Every one of us, up to the aged, and since he died everything is going down. It was affecting the family before but now also the whole Nigerians.
“The poverty now is much; about 90 percent of Nigerians, which I feel if MKO had become president, Nigeria would have just been like Kuwait. Kuwait is small, but it is one of the richest countries. Today, things have not been easy not for the Abiola family alone but the whole country.”
The family head lamented that despite the huge sacrificed made, including the supreme sacrifice paid by Abiola, successive governments have not deemed it fit to bestow on the late politician, the honour he deserved.
He urged the Federal Government to accord the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential poll, the right honour and also declare him the “slained President of Nigeria.”
Muritala said: “For example, Ken Saro Wiwa died on this Ogoni oil spillage; they are cleaning the oil splillage now. MKO was killed because of the election he won. Maybe you journalists, or the government should stop calling him acclaimed winner.
“He’s not an acclaimed winner; they should confirm him as slain President of Nigeria. After all, somebody ruled for about six months, they said Interim National Government (ING), he is still enjoying presidential privileges. So, MKO should be declared President although slain, so, all the entitlements should go to the family.
“I don’t want to raise eyebrow because as of today, I am aggrieved and that is my own opinion. People are telling us rule of law, June 12, but Ogun state House of Assembly enacted a law, declaring June 12 every year a Public holiday.
“Just before yesterday when we went to Oke-Mosan, we heard that before, if it falls on Sunday there is no public holiday, it means the Ogun state government broke the law because if it October 1st falls on Sunday, there will be a Public holiday on Monday, it is just the same thing but I believe we don’t have leaders, we have opportunists.”
In his goodwill message, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who was represented by his deputy, Princess Onanuga, pledged to continue to sustain the spirit of the June 12, 1993 presidential election as a way of paying tribute to the illustrious son of the state, late M.K.O Abiola.
Also speaking, one of the sons of the late politician, Lekan Abiola, rued that what the Abiola family, particularly the children lost to Abiola’s death and his wife, Kudirat, could neither be quantified nor regained till eternity.
According to Lekan, while Abiola’s business empire suffered grave setbacks during Sani Abacha’s regime, the present crop of elected office holders in the country and direct beneficiaries of their parents’ death are not doing anything to immortalise him.
