President
Muhammadu Buhari has apologised to the family of the presumed winner of
the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, for
his travails after the election.
The president gave the apology in
Abuja on Tuesday after conferring the title, Grand Commander Of the Federal
Republic on Abiola.
“On behalf of the Federal
Government, I tender the nation’s apology to the family of late MKO Abiola, who
got the highest vote [in the election], and to those that lost their loved ones
in the course of the June 12 struggle,” President Buhari said before getting
guests to observe a minute’s silence in honour of those who died.
The decision to honour MKO Abiola
and to declare June 12 Democracy Day followed years of clamour by the
activists, statesmen, groups as well as the family, associates, and friends of
the late businessman and politician.
And President Buhari believes it
is important for Nigerians to accept the decision “in good faith” and help the
nation move forward.
“We cannot rewind the past but we
can at least assuage our feelings, recognise that a wrong has been committed
and resolve to stand firm now and ease the future for the sanctity of free
elections,” he said.
“Nigerians will no longer
tolerate such perversion of justice. This retrospective and posthumous
recognition is only a symbolic token of redress and recompense for the grievous
injury done to the peace and unity of our country.”
According to the President by
moving past the negatives of the struggle, Nigerians would be able to fully
benefit from June 12.
“Our action today is to bury the
negative side of June 12 – side of ill-feelings, hate, frustration, and agony.
What we are doing today is celebrating the positive side of June 12,” he said.
On June 6, 2018, President Buhari
declared June 12 Nigeria’s new Democracy Day and announced that Abiola, and his
running mate Babagana Kingibe, as well as human rights activist Gani Fawehinmi,
would be honoured along with other heroes of democracy.
Although some have questioned the
motive behind the move, the President rejected the claim.
“The decision at this event is
not mean to be, and is not, an attempt to open old wounds but to put right a
national wrong,” he said.
Nigerians, of their own free
will, voted for Chief MKO Abiola, and Babagana Kingibe – the presidential flag
bearer and running mate of the Social Democratic Party in the 1993 elections.”
He accused the government of the
day of cancelling the elections when it was clear who was going to be the
winners.
Although the 1993 general
elections received widespread acclaim and have been adjudged as the freest
and fairest elections in Nigeria’s history, military Head of State at the time,
General Ibrahim Babangida annulled it.
But Chief Abiola who contested
under the Social Democratic Party and held a massive lead at the polls before
the annulment insisted on his mandate and that the outcome of the election be
upheld.
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