Kunle ADELABU
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday proclaimed June 12 as the new Democracy Day to be celebrated as public holiday starting from 2019 in recognition of the June 12 Presidential election won by the late business mogul and politician, Chief Moshood Abiola.
The President added that the acclaimed winner of the June 12 election will also be conferred with nation’s highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR. An honour reserved exclusively for presidents or heads of state.
The late human rights lawyer and pro-democracy activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi would also be awarded the country’s second highest award of the GCON for his gallant fight towards actualizing the June 12 Presidential election annulled by the former head of state, Gen. Badamosi Babangida.
President Buhari also disclosed that Abiola’s running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe would be conferred with GCON.
A press statement signed by President Buhari read thus:
For the past 18 years, Nigerians have been celebrating May 29th, as Democracy Day. That was the date when for the second time in our history, an elected civilian administration took over from a military government. The first time this happened was on October 1st, 1979.
But in the view of Nigerians, as shared by this Administration, June 12th, 1993, was far more symbolic of Democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29th or even the October 1st.
June 12th, 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputedly the freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our Independence. The fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military Government does not distract from the democratic credentials of that process.
Accordingly, after due consultations, the Federal Government has decided that henceforth, June 12th will be celebrated as Democracy Day. Therefore, Government has decided to award posthumously the highest honour of the land, GCFR, to late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12th 1993 cancelled elections. His running mate as Vice President, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, is also to be invested with a GCON. Furthermore, the tireless fighter for human rights and the actualisation of the June 12th election and indeed for Democracy in general, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN is to be awarded posthumously a GCON.
The commemoration and investiture will take place on Tuesday June 12, 2018, a date which in future years will replace May 29th as a National Public Holiday in celebration of Nigeria Democracy Day.
