The Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr. Osita Okechukwu on Sunday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari over his recent announcement of a posthumous award for the late MKO Abiola.
Okechukwu said Buhari had by that act announced the results of the annulled June 12, 1993 elections and by extension moved Generals Ibrahim Babaginda and Olusegun Obasanjo into the ‘Anti-Democratic Hall’.
The VON DG stated this while entertaining questions from journalists at the annual Igwa Nshi festival in his Eke hometown, Udi LGA, Enugu State over the weekend.
Okechukwu, however, faulted the call by Senate for the declaration of the result, saying it was not necessary “for the profound proclamation is the result declaration we waited for 25 years.”
He insisted that Mr. President announced the results when he officially declared the June 12 election as the freest and fairest in the annals of the history of Nigeria.
“Mr President spiced it with the GCFR, the highest honour in the country he conferred on MKO Abiola and Grand Commander of Order of Niger (GCON), the second highest national honour on his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe,” he said.
According to the VON DG, what the President did was nothing but declaration of the result of that election and porting of the annulars and their league into Anti-Democratic Hall.
“For me, life is about a coin. A coin has two sides. I read a letter from Kola, Abiola’s son, on behalf of MKO’s family thanking Mr. President. I read statements from the PDP and the APC, congratulating Mr. President. This is democracy. We in the majority welcomed it. Minority are in the Anti-Democratic Hall.
“Some people are saying Kudirat should be honoured. Some are saying Humphrey Nwosu should be honoured. I am one of those applauding Mr. President and appealing that Kudirat the martyr of the struggle and Nwosu the conductor of the election be conferred with GCON,” Okechukwu said.
On the claim by renowned jurist, Justice Alfa Belgore that the President violated the law, Okechukwu noted that like a coin a renowned legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN) also read sections of the law and said the President did not violate any law.
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