Buhari: June 12 now Nigerias Democracy Day, Abiola gets GCFR
News & Trends •
june 12th 1993 was the day when nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest fairest and most peaceful elections since our independence2 the first time this happened was on october 1st 1979. but in the view of nigerians as shared by this administration june 12th 1993 was far more symbolic of democracy in the nigerian context than may 29th or even the october 11 president buhari said abiolas running mate ambassador babagana kingibe will also be honoured with grand commander of the order of the niger the second highest honour. and so will chief gani fawehinmi the indefatigable lawyer and senior advocate who campaigned for the actualisation of june 12 up till abiolas death in 1998. the event will hold on june 121 from 2019 june 12 will now replace 29 may the day the military handed over to civilians in 1999 as nigerias democracy day. and it means that the rest of nigeria will join states in the south west to celebrate the day1 south west nigeria since 1999 has been observing june 12 as democracy day but failed to convince their son former president olusegun obasanjo to accord the date national recognition when he ruled from 1999-20071 president buhari said he decided to honour abiola and the immortal date after consultations with nigerians1 in the view of nigerians as shared by this administration june 12 1993 was and is far more symbolic of democracy in the nigerian context than may 29 or even october 1 president buhari said1 in a statement signed by buharihe said for the past 18 years nigerians have been celebrating may 29 as democracy day. that was the date when for the second time in our history an elected civilian administration took over from a military government1 the election adjudged to be the freest and fairest up till that year in nigerias history was annulled by the military junta headed by ibrahim babangida plunging nigeria into a five-year political crisis. abiola died in 1998 and general sani abacha who was one of the beneficiaries of the annulment died some weeks before him1 president muhammadu buhari in a surprise move wednesday declared june 12 nigerias democracy day and also awarded nigerias highest honour grand commander of the federal republic gcfr to the late businessman moshood kashimawo abiola winner of the election held on same date in 19931 the fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military government does not detract from the democratic credentials of that process1 accordingly after due consultations the federal government has decided that henceforth june 12th will be celebrated as democracy day. therefore government has decided to award posthumously the highest honour of the land1 gcfr to late chief mko abiola the presumed winner of the june 12th 1993 cancelled elections1 his running mate as vice president amb. baba gana kingibe is also to be invested with a gcon1 furthermore the tireless fighter for human rights and the actualization of the june 12 elections and indeed for democracy in general the late chief gani fawehinmi san is to be awarded the gcon1 the investiture will take place on tuesday june 12 2018 a date which in future years will replace may 29 as a national public holiday in celebration of nigeria democracy day1 here is president buharis statement1