President Muhammadu Buhari has declared Chief Moshood Abiola as winner of the 1993 presidential election.
The President has effected immediate change in the annual day for the celebration of the country’s Democracy from May 29th to June 12th.
Buhari, in a statement which he personally signed yesterday, said the decision was to honour Abiola who won the election but was prevented from taking over the leadership of the country.
The President also directed that “effective from next year, Nigerian Democracy Day, marked every May 29th for the past 18 years, be now shifted to the 12th of June to honour an illustrious son of Nigeria, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who won a presidential election, but was prevented from taking office when the results were annulled.
Buhari explained that the late Abiola died while struggling to actualize the mandate.
According to the President, with the new development, late MKO Abiola will be conferred with nation’s highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).
The honour is exclusively conferred on the holders of the highest office in the country, the President.
Buhari said Abiola’s running mate in that election, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, will also be conferred with the second highest honour of the Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).
Also to receive a GCON is the late Nigeria’s foremost pro-democracy activist, Gani Fawehinmi.
The President Buhari said: “For the past 18 years, Nigerians have been celebrating May 29th, as Democracy Day. That was the date when, for the second time in our history, an elected civilian administration took over from a military government. The first time this happened was on October 21, 1979. But in the view of Nigerians, as shared by this administration, June 12, 1993, was far more symbolic of Democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29th or even the October 1st.
“June 12, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful election since our Independence. The fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military government does not distract from the democratic credentials of that process.
“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 land, GCFR, to late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12th, 1993 cancelled elections. His running mate as Vice President, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, is also to be invested with a GCON.
“Furthermore, the tireless fighter for human rights and the actualization of the June 12th elections and indeed for democracy in general, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) is to be awarded the GCON.
“The investiture will take place on Tuesday June 12th, 2018, a date which in future years will replace May 29th as a National Public Holiday in celebration of Nigeria Democracy Day.”
The late Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), but was prevented from taking office when the results were annulled. He defeated the National Republican Convention (NRC) presidential candidate, Bashir Tofar.
Abiola died custody on July 7,1998 while struggling to actualize the mandate.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government has expressed its profound gratitude to President Buhari for conferring the highest posthumous award of the land, GCFR on an illustrious son of the state, Abiola.
The state, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, said President Buhari has shown that he is a man that believes in justice.