There was jubilation at the All Progressives
Congress (APC) secretariat, in Akure, Ondo State, as leaders and members of the
party commemorated June 12 as Nigeria's
Democracy Day.
The party members said President Muhammadu Buhari
has assuaged the feelings of Nigerians and the people of the Southwest in
particular by the action of the federal government on the much awaited honour
of the late Chief MKO Abiola believed by many to have won the 1993 presidential
election.
Addressing the gathering, the state APC Chairman, Mr.
Ade Adetimehin, commended Buhari for naming the Abuja National Stadium after
Abiola who was also popularly known as the Africa Pillar of Sport.
He said Buhari had lived up to certain parts of the
expectations of Nigerians concerning June 12, 1993, election.
"Nigerians, and particularly the Yoruba race,
will not forget the action of President Buhari, who did not only change
narrative about June 12 and Nigeria's democracy, but also named a monument
after him. I commend him for doing this," Adetimehin said.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government commemorated
the June 12 Democracy Day with a drama which highlighted various political
events that preceded the June 12 and those that came after the fateful day,
including the last days of both Abiola and the former military ruler, General
Sanni Abacha.
The celebration with a theme: ‘Democracy Day: What
The Future Holds’, had the traditional ruler the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba
Adedokun Abolarin, as the chairman.
At the event, Abolarin said despite the 20 years of
uninterrupted democratic rule, the selfishness of the Nigerian leaders and
elite eluded the country the real dividends of democracy.
The traditional ruler therefore called on the present crop of leaders to fix the
challenges confronting the country, as he bemoaned the military interjection of
the civil rule in the country, saying Nigeria would have developed more but for
the military interjection, which he said caused a major setback for the country.
He noted that it may take another 10 years for the country
to start enjoying genuine democracy, saying: "Democracy is not a thing to
get done overnight."
The monarch said many of the present leaders in the
country may have died before the country would enjoy true and real democracy.
He also called on the federal government to
recognise the heroes and heroines of democracy across the country for the roles
they played in ensuring civil rule
in the country.
He commended the roles played by the National
Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in the process of returning to civil rule,
recalling that many members of the organisation were killed and jailed while
struggling for civil rule, lamenting that many of those who fought for
democracy in Nigeria did not live to enjoy it.
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