Daily Trust

Buhari charged to reconcile Abiola family

- From Abdullatee­f Aliyu, Lagos

The Federal Government has been charged to reconcile the family of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, Chief Moshood Abiola.

An Igbo political leader in Lagos and Special Adviser on Drainage and Environmen­t, Joe Igbokwe said it was shameful that seven Heads of State after the annulment of the June 12 election, could not recognise the winner of the election adjudged to be the fairest and freest in Nigeria’s history.

Igbokwe spoke the weekend during the celebratio­n of Democracy Day by the Ndigbo arm of the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC).

The Igbo leader, who also distribute­d free copies of his books on the June 12 saga said no amount of compensati­on could be too much for late Abiola’s family.

“We are asking the President to do more, pay compensati­on

at to the family. If you give the family N100bn, it’s too small. Give them the money, reconcile the family, then Nigeria will move on,” he added.

The APC leader reiterated that Buhari has written his name in gold by righting the wrong of 25 years, saying even those who benefited from the June 12 annulment did not deem it fit to recognise the symbol of that struggle which Abiola represente­d.

He said, “We are alerting the world and Nigerians that seven Heads of State were in the seat of power for 27 years, they did not do anything except this good man from Daura that came in 2015 and recognised Chief MKO Abiola.

“Even his brother from Ogun state (Former President Olusegun Obasanjo) who benefited from that June 12, in all his eight years in office, he didn’t mention the name of Chief MKO Abiola, his family and those that died in any public protest,” he said.

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