Olusegun Obasanjo/File
Lekan Abiola, son of acclaimed winner of the 1993 Presidential election, Kudirat Abiola has stated the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day is a disgrace on ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier this week declared the day as Democracy Day in honour of the late Abiola who supposedly gained the ballot that was annulled by then Head of State Ibrahim Babangida.
Speaking on the event, Lekan stated the declaration is lengthy overdue for the reason that nation’s democracy has been watered by the blood of harmless folks.
“I think that what President Muhammadu Buhari has done is a move long overdue. The democracy we have in Nigeria today was watered by the blood of a lot of people, including my father, MKO Abiola, and mother, Kudirat,” he informed Punch.
“For President Muhammadu Buhari to lastly recognise June 12 as Democracy Day is fantastic and we're blissful about it.
“However, we hope that he could be declared as a former president of Nigeria. If he was conferred with the very best honour within the nation, the GCFR, which is simply bestowed on presidents, then I believe he must be declared as one.
“We also want all the rights and privileges of a former president accorded to him. Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, benefited so much from my father and had the chance to do this but refused to do so. We therefore thank President Muhammadu Buhari for finally honouring our father.”
When requested if the transfer has been calculated to spite Obasanjo, he stated Obasanjo’s incapability to declare June 12 as Democracy Day is a shameful.
He stated, “Obasanjo is from the identical hometown with my father they usually even went to the identical college. For him to not have given my father that honour is a disgrace on him. Nigeria belongs to each one in all us.
“Since Obasanjo refused to do what was right, God had raised somebody to do it. Now, the whole thing is a shame on him knowing that he is from the same town with my father and he had the chance to honour him as well.”