Reps want June 12, Abiola Immortalised

Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday joined Nigerians calling for more recognition to be given to the annulled June 12, 1993 election and its acclaimed winner, Chief MKO Abiola.

The House also resolved that the late politician should be conferred with the highest national honour posthumously, and thereby directed its committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure enforcement of the resolution.

Speaking on a motion of urgent national importance, member representing Gumel/Gagarawa/Mai/Gatari/Sule Tankarta federal constituency of Jigawa State, Rep. Sanni Zorro, said that late MKO Abiola secured 8 million votes out of 14 million eligible voters in the annulled election.

While eulogising Abiola, Zorro reiterated the vacuum created since the death of MKO on July 8, 1998, in the area of philanthropy, sports, publishing, corporate leadership, national and global politics.

“Remember him today and always as a true and great son of Nigeria, who touched lives more than any other person in his life time, who contributed to the achievement of religious harmony by building bridges between faith organisations like nobody else,” he stated.

He said that aside winning the June 12, 1993 presidential poll by garnering eight million out the 14 million votes cast, Abiola also contributed to the political development of the country.

He called on the Federal Government to bestow the prestigious honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on him as a precedence has been set when former President Shehu Shagari bestowed the same honour to late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1983, adding that “it is instructive to note that before then, the honour was reserved for past presidents of Heads of State.

“I believe that we should immortalise MKO Abiola by conferring on him the highest honor. Conferring the highest honour on an individual is not new. In 1983, Shagari conferred the honour on Awolowo,” he said.

In his contribution, the member representing Awka North/South of Anambra State, Hon. Anayo Nnebe, called for the declaration of June 12 of every year as Democracy Day in the country.

He noted that it was a day the most credible election in the country was held.

According to him, June 12 has more significance for the country’s democracy, compared to May 29, which is currently being celebrated as Democracy Day.

“The annulment of June12 is an act of irresponsibility and executive recklessness. I want to add that June 12 should be declared National holiday in this country. It is a national issue. It is not a South West issue, “Nnebe stated.

Also, the member representing Epe federal constituency, Hon. Wale Raji, urged the Federal Government to declare result of the annulled election and announce late Abiola as the posthumous President-elect.