A pro-democracy activist at the forefront of the June 12 struggle and one time General Secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, has called for the release of the results of the June 12, 1993 elections and declaration of Chief MKO Abiola as a former President.
Speaking with Sunday Telegraph, Chief Kokori said that having done the needful in tandem with the stance of the pro-democracy activists who fought for the emancipation of Nigeria from military juntas, President Muhammadu Buhari should order the Independent National Electoral Commission to release the results.
“This is something we have been clamouring for in the past 25 years. We were excited Mr. President gave vent to this last Tuesday. Many past presidents had the opportunities to do it but they failed.
“We met the then President Olusegun Obasanjo over it, but he failed, even though he was the first beneficiary of the struggle to end military rule in Nigeria. Yar’Adua and later Goodluck Jonathan had the opportunity but they failed to accede to our requests over June 12.
“That is why we are grateful to President Buhari over this singular achievement. Some have said it is politically motivated, but all the previous President had the opportunity to do it and exploit the political benefits, but they failed. It is noteworthy that Buhari, who was least expected to pay attention to that watershed in our political history has done this
“All of us who were part of the struggle are grateful to him for this recognition. Some us went to prisons many times over this issue. I was detained in Barma Prison. We suffered deprivations in our struggle for democracy, such that some of our colleagues even lost their lives in the process. But today, we are happy that those deaths are not in vain.
However, beyond the conferment of National Honours on Chief Abiola and declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day, the results of the election should be fully released and MKO pronounced ex-President of Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
On claims that the then INEC boss should also be honoured Kokori said: “I laughed when some lawmakers at the National Assembly said Prof. Humphrey Nwosu should be given National Honours, but I made bold to say that Nwosu is not a hero of democracy, but rather, a coward and clown who ran away for 12 years before he came up to make some feeble disclosures about the 1993 elections.”
Also, Chairman, Organising Committee of June 12 Movement, Prof. Anthony Kila lauded the action of President Buhari, but also supported the call to make MKO ex-President, or at least, President-elect.
Kila said his group was working to naming and turning Abiola House into the Centre of Democracy in Africa and “shall continue to insist that the MKO Abiola the President elect of the fairest, freest and most peaceful elections in the history of Nigeria be declared President and be referred to as the President that never ruled
“The spirit of June 12 is the spirit of unity and inclusiveness of Nigeria, it is the spirit and moment we shall always look towards and invoke against those that will want to use ethnicism religion or any other tool to divide, manipulate and exploit us as a people.”
On the declaration of June 12 as the Democracy Day by Buhari , he said it was the right thing to do. He said: “For the June 12 Movement, this is a historic movement we are having. It is historic because today we celebrate a victory of hope, vision and doggedness over indifferences, obtuseness, cowardliness and resignation.”
“Some have wondered and have expressed suspicion over idea that this President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, that is quarter to end of his tenure and months to elections might just be doing this for political gain and more specifically electoral calculations.
“We of the June 12 Movement say their suspicion is legitimate but we don’t see that as a problem, rather we welcome such development and implore this administration and indeed all other spheres of government in Nigeria from the local government to the state and back to Federal level including all ministers and the two chambers that make the National Assembly to look for popular ideas and embrace them, we enjoin them to look for popular projects and execute them,” he said.
.new telegraph