Several public figures across Nigeria have
begin to drop positive comments about the
June 12 issue which has been declared a
public holiday to honour the late politician,
Chief MKO Abiola.
A former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar,
and a former Lagos State governor and All
Progressives Congress national leader, Bola
Tinubu, have described the June 12, 1993
elections as a part of Nigeria’s history that
could not be forgotten.
This is just as the Lagos and Ekiti state
governments on Sunday joined Oyo, Ondo,
Ogun and Osun states to declare June 12 a
public holiday.
In a statement issued by his Media Office in
Abuja, on Sunday, Atiku said June 12 and the
events that brought it “are part of our
country’s history and cannot be forgotten,
especially because of the unity and
comradeship displayed by Nigerians on that
Election Day in 1993.”
Atiku, who described the late Abiola as a
businessman, philanthropist and patriot,
noted that the events of June 12, 1993
remained a watershed in the history of the
nation.
It partly read, “The Waziri commended
Nigerians for moving beyond the challenges
thrown up by June 12 and putting in place a
democratic system of government that has
lasted for 18 years.
“He said that it is a testimony to the innate
democratic nature of Nigerians that today,
democracy is flourishing in the country,
adding that the restructuring of the country
as being demanded by some well-meaning
Nigerians would further consolidate
democracy and give greater impetus to the
unity and development of the country.
“According to him, restructuring of the
country would lay a solid foundation for
prosperity and self-reliant development
across the country by introducing healthy
competition among the constituent parts of
the federation based on the principle of
comparative advantage.”
The former Vice President described the late
MKO Abiola as the leading personality of the
June 12 struggle as a national “Hero and
Patriot” deserving of accolades and honour
by Nigerians.
He called on the Federal Government to pay
the necessary tribute to the late chief Abiola
of blessed memory by naming a befitting
national institution after him.
Tinubu, in statement on Sunday to celebrate
the 24th anniversary of June 12, said that
without “the uncompromising resistance to
military rule engendered by the annulment
of the June 12 election, there would most
probably be no 4th Republic today and we
would still be groaning under military
dictatorship.”
Tinubu described the late Abiola, the winner
of the election, as an embodiment of “the
eternal Yoruba adage, which says that death
is better with honour than life without
dignity.”
In the statement titled, ‘What June 12 Taught
Us,’ Tinubu said, “The blood of those who
gave their yesterday and sacrificed even
their lives for the democracy and freedom
we enjoy today was not shed in vain. The
truth is June 12 is the mother of May 29.
“The annulment was a bitter pill to swallow,
especially for the millions of people who
expended so much time, energy and
material resources to help ensure victory for
Chief MKO Abiola. The late MKO selflessly
committed so much of his substantial
fortune towards ensuring his victory at the
polls. In doing this, he was not motivated by
personal, selfish or pecuniary
considerations.
“Twenty-four years after its annulment, the
spirit of June 12 lives on in the hearts and
minds of millions of Nigerians.
“This year’s commemoration of the
anniversary of June 12 coincides roughly
with two years in office of the All
Progressives Congress at the federal level.
Some critics are already writing off the
government as a failure. However, the vast
majority of Nigerians are aware of the
immense mess inherited by the President
Muhammadu Buhari administration.”
