Human rights activist and Executive Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari led-Federal Government to recognize MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12 election, as former President of Nigeria.
He maintained that non-recognition of the deceased since the enthronement of the present democratic experience in May 29,1999, has been hurting the present political system, adding that national emolument like University of Abuja and Eagle Square could be named after Abiola.
In a signed statement on Sunday and made available to DAILY POST, Sulaiman, lamented that successive governments had failed to do the needful in giving due recognition to that election, “forgetting that without June 12, there could not May 29 in the country”.
Comrade Sulaiman urged the present administration the day as one of national public holidays for the remembrance of the turning point election that was adjudged as freest and fairest election ever held in the political history of the land since independence in October 1st, 1960.
He commended States of the federation that declared June 12 as public holiday, “for keeping the ideals and philosophy which the June 12 stand for”.
“The June 12 1993 President election annulled by the evil genius and former Head of Military Junta, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (rtd), would continue to be remained the watershed in the anal of political history and development of the country.
“This is because the winner of the election, Chief MKO Abiola and other martyr paid supreme sacrifice for the enthronement of current democratic experience by laying down their precious lives.
“It is a shame that some gullible elements in the country are still celebrating General Bababgida for selfish political interest. If we are in sane country, the likes of Babangida and his conspirators then should have been languishing in jail for the rest of their lives for by robbing the masses of the country of their political opinion.”
Sulaiman, however, saluted the courage of the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), late Pa Abraham Adesanya, late Chief Bola Ige, late Kudirat Abiola, Professor Wole Soyinka, Barrister Femi Falana, Senator Shehu Sani and other heroes and heroines of June 12,1993 Presidential election struggle.
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