Olusegun Obasanjo/File
Lekan Abiola, of the sons 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 Goodluck Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier this week declared the day in honour of the late Abiola whose supposedly received the ballot that was annulled then Head of State Ibrahim Babangida.
Speaking on the event, Lekan stated the declaration is lengthy overdue because the nation’s democracy has been watered by the blood of harmless individuals.
“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 advised Punch.
“For President Muhammadu Buhari to lastly recognise June 12 as Democracy Day is great and we're blissful about it.
“However, we hope that he can be declared as a former president of Nigeria. If he was conferred with the very best honour within the nation, the GCFR, which is barely bestowed on presidents, then I believe he ought to 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 and so they even went to the identical faculty. For him to not have given my father that honour is a disgrace on him. Nigeria belongs to each one among 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.”