By Eric Elezuo
The coalition on June 12 and other stakeholders Thursday held a press conference in reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to honour the presumed winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential election, Bashorun MKO Abiola with the highest honour in the land – GCFR, in addition to establishing June 12 as the National Democracy Day henceforth as against the May 29 day, which has been in existence since 2000.
The conference was held at Chief MKO Abiola’s home on Abiola Crescent, Toyin Street, Ikeja Lagos.
The group thanked the President for his kind gesture, saying that history has been made, and Nigeria has been put back on the ‘path of freedom and democratic determination’.
While describing the move as ‘historic’, they asked the President to set a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the annulment of the election, which was described as the freest and fairest election to be held in the country so far, revisit the election and come out with the result towards declaring the winner.
It also held that those found complicit in the annulment of the election should be brought to justice while declaring their action as a treasonable offence against Nigeria and the Nigerian People.
The outgoing administration of General Abdusallam Abubakar had set May 29, 1999 as the handing over and Presidential inauguration day while the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo established the day as Democracy Day contrary to civil society’s preference for June 12.
