Late MKO Abiola Photo: Encomium
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has counseled President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day and posthumously awarding the honour of GCFR to late MKO Abiola.
MURIC additional known as on Buhari to additionally honour Ken Saro Wiwa at the same time as he counseled the tireless struggles of Gani Fawehinmi and different SANs, together with Femi Falana and Beko Ransome Kuti.
In an assertion despatched to Famzn News, MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola mentioned the popularity of June 12 as democracy has quenched their grievances in direction of the marking Democracy Day on May 29th by earlier regimes.
As acknowledged by MURIC; ” The singular motion has marked out President Muhammadu Buhari as a true democrat and a champion of liberty. It belies the allegation of dictatorial tendency leveled in opposition to Buhari by his critics. Buhari has taken a step in the correct route and his title shall be written in letters of gold within the corridor of fame.”
“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) obtained this nice information with nice pleasure. We are overwhelmed with feelings. This is the boldest step ever taken by any civilian administration since 1999. We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for figuring out with democratic and progressive components on this nation. The recognition of June 12 is one other robust proof of ‘change’. It additional cements Buhari’s forthrightness, braveness, love of justice and aptitude for fairplay.
“June 12th, 1993 was the day Nigerians of their thousands and thousands expressed their democratic will within the freest, fairest and most peaceable elections since independence. But grasping, egocentric and tyrannical components within the navy annulled that election and held the winner captive and incommunicado for 4 years (1994 – 1998).
“His spouse, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, who was the best heroine of Nigeria’s democracy, was killed in essentially the most weird method whereas the husband was nonetheless in detention. Worse nonetheless, the navy totalitarian dictators made positive that MKO Abiola, the hero of democracy, died in captivity (July 1998). Nothing may have out-Heroded Herod than the brutalization of the Abiola household and the destabilization of the MKO Abiola household enterprise.
“MURIC has all the time held that May 29th which was picked by earlier regimes to mark Democracy Day was fraudulent and that June 12 was way more really symbolic of Democracy within the Nigerian context. To this finish, now we have issued statements yearly since 1999 demanding the popularity of June 12 as Democracy Day and condemning the celebration of democracy on May 29. We recognize the Federal Government for finally sharing this sentiment. It is, certainly, a nice achievement for us.
“We doff our hats for the household of the late Chief MKO Abiola particularly for his or her tenacity, doggedness and forbearance within the face of extreme trials sequel to the prison annulment of the outcomes of the June 12, 1993 election and the assassination of MKO. We nonetheless grieve over the merciless killing of each MKO and Kudirat, his loving spouse. We beseech Allah to forgive the couple, to grant them Al-Jannah and to proceed to strengthen their households.
“We ship particular solidarity message to Muhammed Fawehinmi, son of late Gani Fawehinmi and his mom, Mrs. Ganiyat Fawehinmi, who's indubitably a main Nigerian amazon and your entire Fawehinmi household.
“We also congratulate all Nigerians for this landmark decision. In particular, and with the Campaign for Democracy (CD) foremost on our mind, we felicitate with civil society and all human rights activists. In this respect, we single out late Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti, foremost leader of the CD, the tireless lawyer, humanist and human rights activist, Femi Falana SAN and Dr. Sylvester Odion Akhaine, CD’s first secretary general.”