. Insist on restructuring
By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor
June 12 activists have insisted that unless President Muhammadu Buhari ensured that true democracy was upheld all efforts at moving the country forward would fail.
Also they insisted that the time to restructure Nigeria was now to salvage it from total disintegration.
Participants at the 25th year anniversary organised by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in collaboration with Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos branch, held at Excellence Hotel in Lagos were unanimous in their assertion that the nation would continue to drift despite recent directive by Buhari that effective 2019 Nigeria’s Democracy Day marked every May 29 for the past 18 years be shifted to June 12 to honour Moshood Abiola, the winner of the 1993 presidential election.
Senator Shehu Sani; Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland; Rear Admiral Ndubisi Kanu (rtd), Comrade Ayodele Akele, Joe Odumakin Okei, Tony Uranta, Yerima Shettima, Joseph Evah, Prof Derin Ologbenla, Prof Bayo Lawal, Dr Amos Akigba, among other speakers advised Buhari to ensure that justice, freedom, rule of law, sanctity of votes etc. were respected.
While some of them commended Buhari for the recognition of Abiola, they also urged him to accord his family all the privilege of a former President as well as gazette the pronouncement.
For Shehu Sani, “Buhari did what his predecessors failed to do but he should go beyond that and do the needful if it is not a Greek or political gift. We accept the gift but reject the political motive.
“With the June 12 annulment Nigeria missed the opportunity for unity, progress and prosperity. Those who annulled June 12 must apologize to Nigerians. There is a need for restructure”.
It would be recalled that election data showed that Abiola won the polls but he was never formally declared winner and was not sworn into office by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida.
Abiola was later imprisoned by the Sani Abacha’s military regime as he struggled to actualise his mandate. He died in the process.
