June 12: Democracy heroes, martyrs deserve honour – Razak

A frontline politician and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Lanre Razak has said that all the martyrs and heroes/heroines of democracy in Nigeria deserve prayers, remembrance, immortalisaation and honour for their various sacrifices and contributions to the enthronement of self-rule in the country.

Razak made the remarks in Lagos in commemoration of the 27^th anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election described to be the freest and most credible in the annals of Nigeria and believed to have been won by the candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), MKO Abiola and which was annulled by the then military ruler, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a retired general.

According him, their invaluable contributions and sacrifices which included supreme one, led to the enthronement of democracy in the country, pointing out that, “They sacrificed their blood and sweat to germinate, nurture and grow the tree of democratic rule in Nigeria.”

Razak, who is a member of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), said, but for them, Nigeria would still be suffering under the jack boots of military dictatorship and still remains a pariah nation in the comity of nations, saying, “For the forgone, they deserve honour, remembrance, prayers and immortalisation.”

In his glowing tributes to them, Razak remembered the fallen democracy heroes/heroines like MKO Abiola, his wife, Kudirat Abiola, Alfred Rewane, Abraham Adesanya, Suliat Adedeji, Solanke Onasanya, Lam Adesina and Adekule Ajasin, among others.

On the surviving ones, the Epe High Chief mentioned Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dan Sulaeman, Ndubuisi Kanu, Ayo Opadokun, Wole Soyinka, a professor; Alani Akinrinade, a retired general; the Odumakins, Balarabe Musa, and many others.