June 12: Commendation galore
News & Trends •
dr joe okei-odumakin president of women arise for change initiative wa said we accept these honors no matter how belated because we and other nigerians have campaigned around these issues over the years2 she said june 12 could not be forgotten so fast by nigerians because it was the day nigerians freely elected a president in the freest and fairest election2 the rights activist prayed that the spirit of june 12 would take firm root in nigeria future elections2 it is our wish that the essential spirit of june 12 takes firm root in our land with free and fair election and become a norm in our land2 from the ekiti elections scheduled for july 14 and the general elections in 2019. that is the moment the spirits of abiola and all martyrs of june 12 will forgive nigeria. she said2 alhaji balarabe musa national chairman of peoples redemption party and former governor of old kaduna state said buharis action had given nigerians renewed hope2 the actions give hope that president buhari can do the right thing and correct wrongs before its too late for him and for the nation musa said2 but god and allah said that this day shall come and it came without rancour but happiness and warm smiles everywhere1 all the states in the west have always observed june 12 as democracy day1 president muhammadu buharis surprise replacement of may 29 with june 12 as democracy day celebration has spiralled commendations from across all activists and groups1 the president also conferred a posthumous highest national honour on the presumed winner of june 12 1993 presidential election mko abiola1 musa who has never seen anything about buhari said president buharis action with regards to declaration of june 12 as democracy day and award of the highest honour to late chief mko abiola are relevant just courageous and patriotic1 abiolas vice presidential candidate babagana kingibe and late human rights and fiery lawyer gani fawehinmi are also to be bestowed with national honours on june 121 yoruba ronu leadership forum socio-cultural group in south west considered the declaration as a reward for all progressives in the country1 mr akin malaolu secretary-general of the forum applauded the decision of buhari and said the decision and recognition provoked emotions and tears of joy throughout the country especially in the western region1 he noted that abiola was a political figure that was respected by all tribes in the country and across the world in his life time1 we had this opportunity in 1999 when ex-president olusegun obasanjo was president but despite all appeals to him he turned the teeming masses down1 activists and non-activists on thursday commended president buhari for the declaring june 12 which he said would henceforth be celebrated as democracy day beginning from next year1 candidly when the news broke artisans market women and workers were in jubilation commercial drivers and passengers hugged one another with smiles1 every word that came out from the jubilant crowd can be interpreted as do good and good will follow you malaolu said1 he congratulated nigerians and the victims of brutal killings during the struggle for the actualisation of june 12 in 19931 he also thanked president buhari the vice president and others including asiwaju bola ahmed tinubu for the decision1 governor akinwunmi ambode of lagos state hailed the announcement and lauded the president saying that the development was a historic and symbolic moment in the nations political trajectory1 this is a welcome development. it is a historic moment in our nation and i join other nigerians to commend president buhari on this announcement1 by this move he has done what previous administrations failed to do1 this not only shows that the president is a man of history and character but also eloquently confirms that the heroes of democracy did not die in vain after all ambode said in a statement by his chief press secretary mr habib aruna1 a chieftain of the peoples democratic party pdp chief ebenezer babatope also commended president buhari. he said abiola was the presumed winner of the june 12 1993 presidential election until his death on july 7 19981 babatope a former minister of transport and member pdp board of trustees told the news agency of nigeria nan on phone that the presidents motivation was right1 even though one may question the timing the motivation is right1 we should commend buhari for the declaration of june 12 as democracy day and the conferment of gcfr on the late mko abiola he said1 also mr wasiu eshinokun-sanni the deputy speaker of the lagos state house of assembly said that the truth had prevailed1 eshinokun-sanni who noted that he received the news with a mixed feeling commended the lagos state government to have recognised abiola and chief gani fawehinmi a late human rights lawyer1 the good part is that effort of nigerians in forgetting religious and tribal sentiments as exhibited by the june 12 elections is not in vain. june 12 is democracy day is also symbolic1 what obasanjo former president failed to recognise all this while in spite being the greatest beneficiary of june 12 a nigerian of northern extraction has brought it to the front burner he said1