MKO Abiola: OPC and NUJ celebrate 25 years of June 12 presidential election

By: OPANIRAN BOLUWATIFE FAITH

It was a day of historic remembrance for the election, annulment and struggle against the annulment of
the June 12, 1993 presidential election that would have saw Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO)
Abiola as the democratic president of Nigeria, as Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in collaboration with
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); Lagos State Council, celebrate 25th anniversary of the election.
With the theme: “Nigerian Politics And Democratic Process MKO Abiola And The June 12, 1993 Cries And
Beyond”, the Excellence Hotel of Ogba-Lagos was capacity filled with heroes, supporters, and several
activists of the June 12 presidential election.
In his keynote remark, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland and OPC founder, Gani Adams, said whether

the Federal Government’s decision was more political than legal as argued by some people, for Gani, it is
crystal clear that the journey to make June 12 the Democracy Day of Nigeria started several years back.
Although he appreciated the president, Muhammadu Buhari for honouring Abiola with the most
prestigious national honour in the country – the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and
said “I am sure posterity will always be kind to him for putting Nigeria’s democratic history in the right
perspective.
The truth is, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. The June 12 episode was one event that
actually shaped the destiny of this nation, but today, it is a new beginning,” he said.
Admonishing Buhari to take care of the issues of security, good health, education, enduring social
structure, good economy and other good things of life, which will ameliorate Nigerians’ sufferings, Gani
said the way they clamoured and struggled to make June 12 Democracy Day, they need to make
sacrifice, struggle and make a case for restructuring.
“We need to stand firm and raise our voices in support of restructuring. If Nigeria is restructured, the
federating units or states will develop at their own pace.
Our democracy has been so monetised and doesn’t encourage the young people to participate in the
affairs of their country, even though the president has signed not-too- young-to-rule,” he said.
The occasion’s chairman - a human rights activist and lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, however, said
those who annulled and betrayed June 12, 1993 presidential election should apologise.
Sani said it was unfortunate that “these saboteurs did not allow the late Chief MKO Abiola to realise his
dream of enabling Nigerians to say farewell to poverty. But the traitors of June 12 must not be
honoured.
“Those who worked for the late Gen. Sani Abacha and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida to truncate the June 12,
1993 presidential poll must not be honoured,” he said.
The senator, also, lambasted the people who abandoned Chief Abiola during the struggle and hailed
heroes of democracy like the late Gani Fawehinmi, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prof. Wole Soyinka, the
late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti and others “for ensuring that Nigerians now enjoy democracy”.

While appreciating Buhari for recognising and declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, he urged Nigerians
to reject any political motive towards 2019 that is behind the honouring those who keep the struggle
flame burning.
Speaking further, he said the greatest honour President Buhari can do to the late Chief Abiola is to
sustain his ideals by promoting unity and ensuring that Nigerians enjoy the good things of life, because
MKO has invested so much of his wealth in the June 12 presidential election.
According to the Guest Speaker, Associate Professor of Political Science, UNILAG, Dr Derin Ologbenla,
“We don’t totally condemn the military government because they constructed several infrastructures,
but they over stay in government and their mode of ruling is not condone,” he said.
He confessed that Nigeria must be restructured, Yoruba must continue to tolerate others ethnic
members of the country, and Nigerians must get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to stand a chance
to vote them prefered person.
Also speaking, Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, Dr. Qasim Akinreti
hailed President Buhari for doing justice at the right time by recognising Chief Abiola and declaring June
12 as Democracy Day and requested from the president that MKO’s house should be a presidential
library.
“MKO Abiola should be declared as President elect of the June 12 1993 presidential election of Nigeria,”
he requested.
More so, several personalities who fought for June 12 were given awards at the event, the likes of Dr Joe
Odumakin, Senator Shehu Sani, Alhaji Yerima Shettima; the President of Arewa Youth Consultative
Forum (AYC), Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu; former Abia State Governor, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), Comrade
Ayodele Akerin, Prof. Shonbi Oluwole, Barr. Babajide, Dr. Jide Rotimi, Comrade Tony Oranta, Dr. Amos
Akingba, Prof. Tunde Babawale, Dr. Derin Aladenla, Representative of Ezendigbo, Prof. Mike Odueze,
Prof. Bayo Lawal, Prof. Oribogunje Oladele, Prof. Chidozie Okoro, Prof. Ogundiwole, NUJ Chairman; Dr. Qasim Akinreti,and many others were honoured.