Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately adopt all the social intervention programmes of late MKO Abiola and celebrate the 2018 Democracy Day on June 12, 2018. Falana made the call on Wednesday after the President approved the posthumous award of the highest honour, GCFR to the presumed winner of the June 12 presidential election held in 1993, Abiola.
The President had also changed Nigeria's democracy day from May 29 to June 12 in recognition of Abiola's strugle for the enthronement of democracy in the country.
Falana's statement made available to the Cable read;
“The Muhammadu Buhari administration made history today by conferring the post humous national award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Chief M. K. O. Abiola, the acclaimed of the June 12, 1993 presidential election for his huge contribution to the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria,” the statement read.
By declaring June 12 Democracy Day the federal government has officially validated the integrity of the fair and free election that was criminally annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida junta. By recognizing June 12 as Democracy Day the federal government has put an end to the hypocrisy of May 29 which was proclaimed by the Olusegun Obasanjo regime. By confering the post humous award of national award of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) on Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN the federal government has officially endorsed his enormous contributions to the titanic battle against military dictatorship and promotion of human rights in Nigeria.
In addition to the historic gesture the federal government should proceed to adopt chief Abiola’s programme of welfare to poverty and respect the human rights of all Nigerians which Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN championed and defended in his life time. In particular, the federal government should mark the first national democracy day on June 12, 2018 with the release of all citizens who are being detained illegally all over the country and immediate compliance with all valid and subsisting court orders.”
Meanwhile, Buhari's arch critic and former spokesman to Goodluck Jonathan's Presidential campaign, Fani Kayode has commended Buahri for recognizing Abiola. His tweet read ;
“I commend @MBuhari for announcing June 12th as our new Democracy Day. “This is long overdue and I am pleasantly surprised. I also commend him for honoring Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12th 1993 presidential election, with the posthumous award of GCON. This is great news!”
