President Muhammadu Buhari/File
The declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by President Muhammadu Buhari needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, in accordance with the pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere.
Buhari had on Wednesday moved the date for the occasion from May 29th to June 12 and likewise handed a posthumous award to the late Moshood Abiola.
Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election which was cancelled by then Military Head of State Sani Abacha.
However, in an assertion, the Afenifere mentioned, “We usually are not unaware that we at the moment are within the election season and each try will probably be made to woo voters with points which might be widespread.
“But be that as it might, we've got canvassed for the honour of Chief Moshood Abiola because the annulment of June 12 and for June 12 to be declared democracy day for over twenty years now. Therefore we settle for the declarations and commend them.
“If we're capable of maintain free and honest elections, if we enable Nigerians to elect their leaders with out hindrance, if the need of voters is acknowledged, if the poll is allowed to reign supreme within the subsequent Nigerian elections, then this could have celebrated our true perception within the spirit of June 12 and the right honour of Abiola, who died on precept, insisting that the rights of Nigerians and their votes should be revered.
In addition, the physique famous that, “fairness consist in giving even the devil his due. Like I said the true test of the motive and intention will come out in January, in fact right from Ekiti on July 14, we will know whether this is just a mere gimmick or a true spirit of democracy in the land. So it is not far for us to know the motive behind this.”