Nigeria News
June 12: Abiola’s Family Lays Fresh Request Before Buhari Administration About MKO
Abiola’s family want late politician officially recognized as a former Nigerian president
The family of the late Chief M.K.O Abiola has called on the federal government to officially recognize the late politician as a former President of Nigeria.
The call was made on Friday by the head of the family, Chief Olanrewaju Abiola at the family house in Abeokuta on the occasion of the 2020 democracy day in the country.
It will be recalled that Nigeria switched its democracy day from May 29 to June 12 in recognition of the activities surrounding the annulled June 12 presidential election in the country.
The late Chief M.K.O Abiola was believed to have won the June 12, 1993, presidential elections but the election was cancelled by the military regime of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).
The Abiola family on Friday, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari who had previously conferred a posthumous honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) – the nation’s highest honour on the late Abiola and recognized June 12 as Nigeria’s authentic Democracy Day to confer an official status of an ex-president of the nation on him.
The family head noted that this will actualize the mandate that Nigerians gave to his late junior brother, Moshood, on June 12, 1993.
He added that the President should also liaise with the National Assembly and pay all the entitlements that should have accrued to his late brother from 1993 to date to the family.
“On June 12, last year when I spoke with the president, he said he has given him the honour, but we want it in black and white.”
“Let the members of the National Assembly debate it and pass it into law. “Moshood was the breadwinner of the family and since his death, the family members have been suffering,” he said.
