Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, declared that President Muhammadu Buhari believed in the mandate given by Nigerians to the late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, in the June 12,1993 election.
The governor, who was in the Presidential Villa to thank the president for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, said the recognition given to the memory of Abiola, a native of Ogun, by Buhari without being prompted to do so, confirmed he believed Abiola was a uniting factor in the nation’s political history.
Abiodun, who spoke to State House Correspondents at the end of the visit, also thanked the president for renaming the Abuja National Atadium as MKO Abiola Stadium, in honour of the politician who died in detention in 1997 while trying to claim his mandate in the election annulled by the military regime of Ibrahim Babangida.
The governor said: “I felt I should personally come on behalf of the good people of Ogun State for pronouncing June 12 Democracy Day; and recognising that, indeed, is MKO Abiola is a uniting factor in the political history of Nigeria.
“MKO Abiola was someone who won an election, ran a Muslim-Muslim ticket, meaning that he demystified the issue of religion and that would have been a turning point in the history of Nigeria.
“So ‘Baba’ recognised that and he firmly believed in Abiola’s mandate and he didn’t have to be convinced. It was something he believed in and he keyed into and he felt that Abiola would have been a very good president.
“I thanked him for naming the stadium after him as well, which was unexpected. He said he didn’t even share with anyone, it was something he wanted to do, to underscore the fact that Abiola was indeed, a great man.”
The governor said he also met with Buhari in order to share with him his vision for the development of Ogun State, which is to provide good and qualitative governance for the people while creating an enabling environment for a public/private sector partnership that is fundamental to economic growth and prosperity.
Meanwhile, Abiodun has said those that will be part of his cabinet will be determined by merit, stressing that qualified professionals are imperative to the execution of his plans for Ogun people.
This is even as he said his experience in the private sector would guide him in appointing competent persons to work with him.
Abiodun stated this while speaking with State House Correspondents after a meeting with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
“You know my background is the private sector and in the private sector we believe in what is called merit before anything else.
“So, everything we are going to be doing in Ogun, henceforth, would be based on merit. Our cabinet will reflect people who deserve to be in office. They will show competence.”
He said the composition of his transmission team, which “comprised the best brains in Ogun from the private sector,” was an indication to the direction his administration is headed to.