The General Secretary, Textile Workers Union, Mr Issa Aremu, has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12 as democracy day.
Aremu commended the President in Kaduna on Thursday and said the organized labour had saluted what it called the courage and sensitivity of President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring democratic consolidation.
By posthumously honouring Chief MKO Abiola, acclaimed winner of June 12 1993 Presidential election long demanded for by democratic forces for the past two decades.
The Buhari has rekindle faith in sustainability of democracy by conferring the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on late Chief MKO Abiola.
The President gave the correct signal that never again would any group of people violate the mandate of Nigerian people through mandate annulment .
President Buhari on Wednesday directed that henceforth Democracy Day will be marked every year on June 12, rather than May 29 which had been observed as Democracy Day since 1999 when the current democratic dispensation began.
Though the results of the election were not fully announced before it was annulled, Abiola was believed to have won the election based on collations from all the states, Aremu said.
He said that the honour reserved for President, would be conferred on the late politician posthumously on June 12, which is the 25th anniversary of the election.
He also hailed the President for honouring Abiolas running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN.
Aremu said President Buhari had brought integrity to governance by shunning the hypocrisy and shameless denials of past leaders of Nigeria that June 12th was truly a watershed in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria.
He said labour agrees with the administration that June 12, 1993 was far more symbolic of democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29 as it was June 12, 1993 that Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our Independence.
Aremu recalled that in 2015, organized Labour urged President Buhari to offer leadership and build a groundswell of national consensus to posthumously accord acceptable deserved national and global Honour to the winner of the June 12.
The honour for Abiola and others is honour for the nation adding that by dignifying the victims of June 12, Nigeria has invariably damned those behind the decades of impunity in Nigeria.Aremu said (NAN)
Source: NAN