Twenty-three years after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the family of the acclaimed winner, Chief MKO Abiola, has asked the Federal Government to de-annul the election, declare him the winner and pay his accrued entitlements as president to the family.
This was the request made by the head of the family, Alhaji Muritala Abiola, on Sunday at the commemoration of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The event was organised by the Ogun State Government, and the day started with a democracy walk from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta and it terminated at Oke Ido ancestral home of the Abiolas, where speeches were made.
Muritala, who is a younger brother of the late Abiola, said if the head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, who held the position for only three months, was still enjoying the perks of a former president, their late breadwinner deserved even much more, for dying for the enthronement of democracy in the country.
He said, “First, we want the Federal Government to declare June 12 as Democracy Day. They should do even more than that.
“The first thing the family wants is that, for example, Ken Saro Wiwa died fighting for this Ogoni oil spillage, the Federal Government is doing the cleaning up of the oil spillage in Ogoni land.
“MKO was killed because of election he won maybe it is you journalists or the Nigerian government calling him the acclaimed winner. He is not the acclaimed winner, they should confirm him as a slain President of Nigeria.
“After all somebody ruled for maybe less than six months, they said Interim National Government. He is still enjoying presidential privileges, so MKO should be declared President although slain, so all the entitlements should come to the family.”
Also, the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has called on the Federal Government to recognise the late MKO Abiola as a former president because of the sacrifice he made after being denied of the mandate he won through the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The governor also declared Monday, June 13 (today), as public holiday in the state in commemoration of the annulment of the election.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to the governor, Mr. Yomi Layinka, in Ibadan, stated that June 12 would always remain a watershed in the history of the country because of its significance to the nation’s democratic journey.
Ajimobi said, “I want to, once again, urge the FG to immortalise and officially recognise MKO Abiola as a former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to confer on him the highest honour in the land befitting of a former president.”
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