June 12: Buhari Has Soothed Some National Wounds, Says Akinyemi

South-west states declare Tuesday public holiday Bashir Tofa: Abiola's recognition one-sided

Former external affairs minis- ter and member of the defunct National Democratic Coalition, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for awarding the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief Moshood Abiola, the highest national honour usually conferred on the country’s presidents. Akinyemi urged Buhari to honour other prominent Nigerians who were involved in the struggle to actualise the June 12 mandate. He said the honour bestowed on Abiola was one in many steps towards the healing of hurting national wounds.

Akinyemi made the assertions in a statement he issued yesterday.

That was as the six Southwest states – Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, and Ogun – declared Tuesday, June 12, as a public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, which Abiola was poised to win before it was annulled by then military president Ibrahim Babangida.

All the six South-west states had been observing June 12 as

work-free day. But on Wednesday, the federal government joined, as President Muhammadu Buhari announced the change of the country’s Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12 in honour of Abiola. Buhari also posthumously conferred the country’s highest national honour of GCFR on Abiola, implying his recognition as former President, and honoured his then running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, with GCON and recognised him as former Vice President. Buhari awarded the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, one of the staunchest June 12 activists, a GCON.

Recognition of June 12 and Abiola as national political symbols had been popularly demanded by Nigerians, though many have accused Buhari of angling for the strategic votes of Abiola’s native South-west with the latest honours.

But the candidate of the National Republican Convention in the June 1993 presidential poll, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, opposed the decision of the federal government to recognise Abiola, who was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, as winner of the election. In a statement yesterday, Tofa said while he never begrudged the president for honouring Abiola, who he described as his “late friend”, he doubted if the move was “based on fair play and law.”

Akinyemi stated, “As a member of NADECO in its heyday, when it was most dangerous to be a member, June 6 marked the fulfilment of dreams, and the achievement of visions. On that day, President Muhammadu Buhari recognised the validity of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections, declared Chief MKO Abiola as the winner of that election, conferred national honours on MKO Abiola, his running mate, Babagana Kingibe, the human rights activist Gani Fawehinmi, and declared June 12 Democracy Day.

“I recognised how momentous that decision was and I not only welcome the decision, I thank President Buhari for the decision. President Buhari has addressed some of the wounds inflicted on this nation and applied healing balm on these wounds. Only those who lost family members, those imprisoned and detained or who had family members imprisoned and detained, those tortured and those driven into exile had felt the need for some measure of closure. That closure was achieved on January 6 by the executive order issued by President Buhari.”

Akinyemi dismissed the disputes in some quarters about the legality of the posthumous award to Abiola, explaining that former President Shehu Shagari had awarded a national honour posthumously to Chief Israel Adebajo, which his son collected on his behalf.

Lagos Declares June 12 Pub- lic Holiday

Lagos State Government on Saturday declared Tuesday, June 12, as public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the annulled 1993 presidential election, which was widely adjudged as the freest and fairest in the country’s history. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the significance of the June 12, 1993 elections would always be a reference point in the state's quest to entrench true democracy.

Ambode commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June as the new Democracy Day, saying the singular act would forever ensure that Abiola and other martyrs of democracy who laid down their lives in the struggle to entrench good governance did not do so vain. Tofa Protests Meanwhile, the candidate of the National Republican Convention in the June 1993 presidential poll, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, has objected to the decision of the federal government to recognise Abiola, who was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, as winner of the election. Tofa, in a statement yesterday, advised the federal government to reconsider its position, saying conferment of national honour on anyone should be beyond some cold political calculations.

The candidate of the now defunct NRC was defeated by Abiola in the election.

Tofa said, “While some worry about the brazen one-sidedness of this curious presidential action, especially given the list of invitees to Tuesday’s event at the Villa supposedly to mark ‘Democracy Day’, there are also those who canvass that I be so honoured with a similar award of GCFR, if the motive indeed was noble and meant to serve the end of justice.”

DPC Warns Against Tenure Elongation

Democratic Peoples Congress has cautioned against using the recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day as ploy to extend the tenure of the Buhari administration. DPC accused the Buhari government of employing divide-and-rule tactics in a desperate effort to perpetuate himself in office, insisting that May 29, 2019 handover remains sacrosanct.

The federal government has yet to conclude the legal process of synchronising the Democracy Day, which it changed from May 29 to June 12, and the handover date, which has been May 29 since 1999.

A statement issued at the weekend by PDC’s National Chairman, Mr. Olusegun Peters, said, "DPC warns against any attempt to elongate the tenure of elected public office holders a day longer than May, 2019. That day is sacrosanct for handover to newly elected leaders.”