- Applauds former President Buhari for honouring MKO Abiola
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A socio-cultural organisation, Yoruba Welfare Group (YWG) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restore the lost glory of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The group noted that restoring the lost hope of June 12 has become necessary because the winner of that election, Chief MKO Abiola laid down his life to sustain today’s democracy after he was denied the opportunity of ruling Nigeria 30 years ago.
The election was annulled by the military dictatorship of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida on June 12, 1993.
In a statement by the National President of YWG, Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, however, praised the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari for giving Nigerians the opportunity to celebrate the late political icon, Chief MKO Abiola by recognising and declaring June 12 a public holiday.
“YWG is thereby calling on President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to start work on how to fully restore the lost glory of 1993. The Renewed Hope agenda should rather be made to complement Hope ’93 so Nigerians could be truly liberated from the menace of bad governance, the shackles of poverty and the debacles of corruption.
“To President Tinubu, you will recall that YWG had been with you even before you declared interest to contest for the presidency, and we have remained with you throughout the struggle because we are convinced of your competence, your capabilities and capacities. We know how you made Lagos become the 5th largest economy in Africa.
“We are therefore convinced that if given the opportunity to handle Nigeria like you handled Lagos State, our country will soon get to the promised land.
“It’s our belief that you are truly God-sent. And as God sent Moses to free the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh in Egypt, may you be used by the same God to deliver the goods to the nation in real-time.
‘YWG thus salutes the courage of former president Buhari for restoring hope and reviving the memory of the political history in Nigeria.
“We recall that this celebration should have been initiated by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo when he took over the leadership of this country from the military – as the first president when Nigeria returned to democracy, but he, unfortunately, refused to give the honour to the winner of June 12, 1993, general election.
“Efforts to get June 12 recognised during the era of former presidents Umar Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan also proved abortive.
“All the sons and daughters of Yoruba and lovers of democracy across the length and breadth of this country will forever be grateful to Muhammadu Buhari for his courage and efforts to make this happen.
“On behalf of the entire Yoruba race worldwide, YWG says thank you very much Baba Buhari for honouring our father and a political leader,” he statement said.