Afe Babalola, governors react differently
Ime Akpan
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday named the Abuja National Stadium after the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Moshood Kashimowu Moshood Abiola.
Buhari who stated this in his Democracy Day speech held at Eagle Square, Abuja said correcting injustice is a pre-requisite for peace and unity.
“As part of the process of healing and reconciliation, I approved the recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day and invested the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Babagana Kingibe with National Honours, as I did with the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
“The purpose was to partially atone for the previous damage done in annulling the Presidential elections of that year.
“Today, I propose the re-naming of the Abuja National Stadium. Henceforth it will be called Moshood Abiola National Stadium,” he said.
In attendance at the ceremony were African leaders.
Among them were President Idris Deby of Republic of Chad; President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania; President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President George Weah of Liberia; President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.
Others were President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe; President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Adama Barrow of The Gambia and President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic as well as the Prime Minister of Uganda, Ruhakana Rugunda.
Other dignitaries at the ceremony included the vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and wife, Dolapo, the senate president, Mr. Ahmad Lawan, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The federal government marked Democracy Day on June 12 for the first time after the president signed the law to commemorate the 1993 Presidential Election considered to have been the freest and most credible poll in Nigeria.
The election which the late MKO Abiola won as the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) against Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC) was cancelled by the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
As a mark of honour for Abiola, the president posthumously honoured him in 2018 with the highest national award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic.
In the past 19 years, the country marked May 29, which was the date the military handed over power to civilians, had been marked as Democracy Day.
It also becomes the country’s official Democracy Day, replacing May 29, which hitherto was a public holiday.
Meanwhile, the governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, commended Buhari for the bold step of honouring the late politician and businessman.
He expressed his belief that democracy should be sustained in the country by setting aside June 12 as a day to celebrate democracy.
“The recognition given to June 12 as Democracy Day is commendable and for this we have to express our gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the recognition.
“I will implore all Nigerians to do everything possible to sustain this democracy.”
Similarly, his Osun State counterpart, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola commended Buhari for the honour.
The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Mr. Benedict Alabi, while delivering a lecture at Aurora Event Centre in Osogbo, called for unity in the country.
“Our President has done us proud. He has set a new agenda for socioeconomic transformation of the country.
“The declaration of June 12 is an affirmation of the fact that the present administration believes so much in things that can promote unity and peace.
“This is a period of sober reflection on the selfless service and sacrifice made by our heroes to ensure that we remain united and indivisible as a nation.
“As we are celebrating the maiden Democracy Day, we must do everything possible to strengthen the peaceful coexistence and unity of the Nigerian nation,” he said.
For his part, the governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Matawalle described the Democracy Day as a time to reflect on how the country had fared over the years and renew determination for the task ahead.
“One of the doyens of the struggles for our modern day democracy is Chief MKO Abiola, on whose honour Nigeria’s Democracy Day was changed from May 29 to June 12.
“The event of June 12 and the subsequent struggles for reversion to civilian rule were the precursors to today’s democracy,” he said.
For the founder and chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Mr. Afe Babalola, making June 12 Democracy Day and honouring Abiola posthumously with GCFR are no doubt good steps in the right direction but the declaration does not amount to return of true democracy which “we need in Nigeria for which Abiola and others made huge sacrifices.”
“Even with the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day, we are not yet at the end of the journey. The pronouncement of President Buhari in 2018 (26 years after) declaring Abiola as the winner of the election, June 12 as Democracy Day and honouring him with the GCFR are no doubt good steps in the right direction but the declaration does not ipso facto amount to return of true democracy which we need in Nigeria for which Abiola and others made huge sacrifices. I see those actions by President Buhari only as important milestones in our march to attain true democracy.
To attain true democracy which is our hope, the government should now go further and make June 12 the day for the inauguration of all future presidents and governors.
“Secondly, the government is advised to follow up the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day with positive directives to restructure the country.
“The 1999 Constitution, which was bequeathed to us by the military, should be replaced with a true federal constitution similar to the 1960 Independence Constitution and the 1963 Republican Constitution.
“I make bold to say that events in the country today which include insecurity, kidnapping, unemployment, unpaid salaries and allowances, transactional leadership in the legislative houses, ineffective local governments and poor infrastructure point to the fact that my statement that “We are at the beginning of a journey, the end of which nobody knows” has come to pass.
“We lost the rare opportunity of installing Abiola, a transformational leader as the President.
“Indeed, Abiola possessed all the qualities best suited to unify Nigeria as a nation from a country of hundreds of nations,” he said.
