The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to honour Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, while commending him for granting posthumous award of Nigeria’s highest national honour (Grand Commander of the Federal Republic) to her husband, Moshood Abiola, the winner of the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993; and the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day.
The APC, via its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
believes that Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who paid the supreme price with her assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996 at the heat of the mobilisation for the restoration of her husband’s mandate as the winner of the 1993 presidential election, deserves to be honoured in her own right as a heroin and martyr of democracy in Nigeria.
APC recalled how she mobilised market women, students, activists and other human rights community against military rule and the struggle for a truly democratic nation.
The party also commended the decision to honour Abiola’s running mate, Babagana Kingibe, and the late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, with the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).
“In taking this courageous and patriotic decision, the President has again displayed a sincerity of purpose and his well-known penchant for doing the right thing irrespective of political and sundry considerations. “As a party, we remain resolved in our struggle to deepen our democracy and continue to improve on the transparency and credibility of our electoral systems. We reiterate that regardless of its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of government that can best serve the interest of our people,” the party stated.
It said that the
decision by President Buhari to honour the heroes of democracy exemplified APC’s commitment to the sanctity of popular elections and respect for the right of the people to freely choose their leaders.
