Declare June 12, MKO Abiola Day, rights activists tell Tinubu, NASS

A coalition of Rights Activists, including Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), among others, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly (NASS) to further immortalise the acclaimed winner of June 12 Presidential Poll – MKO Abiola by changing the Democracy Day to MKO Abiola Day.

The Rights Activists, who converged on MKO Abiola International Stadium, the venue of June 12 Democracy Day Celebration in Abeokuta, the Capital of Ogun State on Monday, demanded that the Nigeria’s Presidency, the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives, emulate the United States’ Martin Luther King Jnr Day as part of democratic virtues and ethos which Nigeria as a nation should copy from the US Presidential System of Government.

Speaking on behalf of the Rights Activists Coalition, Debo Adeniran, Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), said that in as much as Nigeria is claiming to have copied Presidential System of Government from the United States, it should also emulate the democratic virtues and ethos which characterised the setting aside of a day called Martin Luther King Jnr Day (MLK Day).

“The changing of June 12 Democracy Day to MKO Abiola Day will further immortalise MKO Abiola. We should emulate US Martin Luther King Jnr Day and declare June 12 Democracy Day, MKO Abiola Day in Nigeria”, he said.

Meanwhile, Govenror Dapo Abiodun has said that, the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election was a turning point for Nigeria’s Democracy, adding that it played a significant role in the country’s political journey as an entity.

Governor Abiodun stated this on Monday in his address during the Democracy Day Celebration held at MKO Abiola International Stadium, noting that the significance of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, which was won by MKO Abiola, but annulled by then Military Government, was a watershed in the history of Nigeria.

He also attributed the loyalty of President Bola Tinubu to the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola as a key factor in him becoming the President of Nigeria, saying that President Tinubu would further immortalise MKO Abiola by continuing from where former President Muhammad Buhari stopped on the declaration of June 12 as Nigeria Democracy Day and conferment of GCFR on MKO Abiola, Posthumously.

“June 12 is a turning point in Nigeria’s political journey as an entity. His (Tinubu) loyalty to Abiola, who is widely regarded as a symbol of Democracy in Nigeria, may be seen as a positive factor for his Presidential prospects”, he said.