Buhari apologises to MKO Abiola family on behalf of Nigerian Government, as he actualizes promise on June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day

*National Honours: FG to announce more names of heroes of democracy

*June 12: Nigerians in Europe laud Buhari’s declaration

* June 12 will return Nigeria back to true democracy – Group

*”Ngbati Press make it look like only Yoruba fought for June 12″

President Muhammadu Buhari has apologised to the family of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Alhaji Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, on behalf of the Nigerian government for his travails after the election.

The president gave the apology in Abuja on Tuesday after conferring posthumously the title, Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Abiola, Grand Commander of the Order of the Nigeria (GCON) on Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe and posthumously GCON on late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

He said, “On behalf of the Federal Government, I tender the nation’s apology to the family of late MKO Abiola, who got the highest vote (in the election), and to those that lost their loved ones in the course of the June 12 struggle,” President Buhari said before getting guests to observe a minute’s silence in honour of those who died.

The decision to honour MKO Abiola and to declare June 12 Democracy Day followed years of clamour by the activists, statesmen, groups as well as the family, associates, friends, of the late businessman and politician.

And President Buhari believes it is important for Nigerians to accept the decision “in good faith” and help the nation move forward.

“We cannot rewind the past but we can at least assuage our feelings, recognise that a wrong has been committed and resolve to stand firm now and ease the future for the sanctity of free elections,” he said.

He added that, “Nigerians will no longer tolerate such perversion of justice. This retrospective and posthumous recognition is only a symbolic token of redress and recompense for the grievous injury done to the peace and unity of our country.”

According to the President, by moving past the negatives of the struggle, Nigerians would be able to fully benefit from June 12.

“Our action today is to bury the negative side of June 12 – side of ill-feelings, hate, frustration, and agony. What we are doing today is celebrating the positive side of June 12,” he said.

On June 6, 2018, President Buhari declared June 12 Nigeria’s new Democracy Day and announced that Abiola, and his running mate Baba Gana Kingibe, as well as human rights activist Gani Fawehinmi, would be honoured along with other heroes of democracy.

Although some have questioned the motive behind the move as they claim it is politically motivated, the President rejected the claim.

“The decision at this event is not mean to be, and is not, an attempt to open old wounds but to put right a national wrong,” he said.

Nigerians, of their own free will, voted for Chief MKO Abiola, and Baba Gana Kingibe – the presidential flag bearer and running mate of the Social Democratic Party in the 1993 elections.”

He accused the government of the day of cancelling the elections when it was clear who was going to be the winners.

Although the 1993 general elections received widespread acclaim and have been adjudged as the freest and fairest elections in Nigeria’s history, military President at the time, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, annulled it.

But Alhaji Abiola, who contested under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as it were at that time and held a massive lead at the polls before the annulment, insisted on his mandate and that the outcome of the election be upheld.

As a result of his fight for justice, military Head of State General Sani Abacha jailed him in 1994 after he declared himself at Epetedo, Lagos Island the lawful president of Nigeria.

Despite calls in Nigeria and abroad for his release, Abiola was not released from prison until Abacha died on June 8, 1998 and General Abdulsalami Abubakar took over as military Head of State.

About 30 days that Abdulsalami had not come out with what he would do on Abiola who was still in incarceration prison now of his government, Alhaji MKO Abiola died under the custody of Nigerian government on July 7, 1998.

National Honours: FG to announce more names of heroes of democracy

Mr. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has declared that more names will be announced later for national honours for their role in the struggle for democracy.

The SGF made the announcement in his opening remarks at the investiture of national honours on late MKO Abiola, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, and late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

At the presentation of the awards by President Muhammadu Buhari, the senior son of MKO Abiola, Mr Kola Abiola received the award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Hajia Ganiat Fawehinmi also received the award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) for her late husband, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe received his award of GCON).

June 12: Nigerians in Europe laud Buhari’s declaration

A cross-section of Nigerians in Europe on Tuesday commended president Muhammadu Buhari for recognising June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day and for honouring the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 Presidential Election.

On June 6, Buhari directed that the nation’s Democracy Day will, henceforth, hold on June 12 of every year as against the current arrangement where the ceremony holds on May 29.

Buhari also resolved to honour the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola, with the highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic.

Apart from Abiola, Buhari said he would also honour his running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, and the late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, with the second highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Niger.

Reacting to the development, Mr Rowland Ikpi, a member of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK) said that the declaration by Buhari was “a long-awaited recognition”.

“President Buhari has again proved to be a true democrat who believes in deepening democracy and its values in the country “

“He has done what previous administrations considered irrelevant “

“We must give him some accolades, “Ikpi told the News Agency of Nigeria( NAN) in a telephone interview.

He also said that the recognition would “heal the injuries of the past which left many people aggrieved and unenthusiastic about politics “

Similarly, Dr Sachmicit Bancir, a researcher in Geneva said that the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day was a bold statement to the world “that Nigeria recognises its past mistakes “

“This is a bold statement which says it all, firstly as a nation, we made mistakes in the past but today we are on the right course to nation building “

“This move will further place us high in the comity of nations who regard us as a regional giant” Bancir stressed.

Before the Buhari’s declaration, the day has been a public holiday in Ekiti, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Lagos.

June 12 will return Nigeria back to true democracy – Group

A youth-based organisation under the aegis of 372 Youth Network for Stability of Nigeria has described the proclamation of June 12 as a pointer which is capable of returning Nigeria back to the path of true democracy.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday during a press conference to mark the occassion, the President of the group, Mohammed Saidu, said that “it is the beginning of a genuine process of righting the wrongs of the past and setting the country on the path of recovery growth and development”.

He noted that June 12 remained a watershed in the political history of the country and a day of national rebirth.

He said: “On this day, Nigerians spoke with one voice but unfortunately rather than allow Nigeria to continue on this steady progressives path of democratic revolution, the anti democracy forces ganged up to truncate the will of the people.

“From that moment onward, many things went wrong with Nigeria and we began to grope in darkness as it were, we lost our true character and destination and became sharply divided along religious and ethnic lines as never witnessed before.”

Saidu stressed that June 12 symbolised restoration of people’s mandate and respect for freedom of choice and setting the country free from the clutches of anti – people forces.

Not only Yoruba fought for June 12, Hausa, Igbo also did

In the meantime, a word of correction has been sent to the South West dominated Nigerian Press over what was described as their reporting attitude making the June 12 fight look like only Yoruba people fought for it.

One of the respondent, who spoke at the investiture of the three great Nigerians in Abuja Tuesday said it was not true and that the media should correct that attutide.

According to him, Northerners, Southeasterners also fought for the June 12 like Yoruba did being that the MKO Abiola victory was victory of the entire Nigeria and then warned that the media should not take side in the reportage in a way that further divine Nigerians among themselves.