In a chat with Vanguard the second son of the late Chief Moshood Abiola, Mr. Jamiu Abiola highlighted the significance of June 12 and submitted that tribalism is responsible for the failure to honour the date at the national level.
Jamiu, who authoured a book on pre and post-June 12 events entitled: The President That Never Ruled, maintained that honouring June 12 by the Federal Government is a necessity.
His words: “June 12 was the beginning of all the things that happened in terms of how Nigeria became a democratic country again. It was already democratic before June 12, but June 12 brought democracy faster back to Nigeria. And my parents and other Nigerians were instrumental to it because they made sacrifices. It is very significant because without June 12 I would not have become an orphan and Nigeria would not have had democracy in 1999. Without June 12 it would have taken longer for democracy to return to Nigeria. That is what it means to me and every one in Nigeria.
“The Federal Government should honour June 12 the way South West states are doing because the man, Chief M.K.O Abiola won the election all over the country and it was not just in the South West alone that he won. But things are done in tribal manner in this country. Maybe they will have a change of mind, but as far as I am concerned it will be very difficult for them to do so because this country is a tribalistic country. People look at everything from their own angle instead of national angle. The fact that the man won the election in the whole country means nothing to them because they are not looking at it from a national angle. May God guide them and give them the wisdom to do the right thing.”
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