Declare Abiola Nigeria’s President posthumously, Kalu tells Tinubu

… ask IBB to write vol. II, name those who annulled June 12 election

Former Governor of Abia State, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare the late Chief MKO Abiola one of Nigeria’s presidents posthumously.

Kalu said Abiola’s portrait should also be hung among the portraits of Nigerian presidents.

He spoke at the National Assembly on Tuesday against the background of the recent admission by former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) that Abiola indeed won the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adjudged to be freest and fairest conducted in the country at the time. 

IBB, had in his memoirs, “A Journey in Service: An Autobiography”, admitted that the late politician and philanthropist, won the election.

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Kalu, known to be an ‘IBB Boy’, told Senate Correspondents that with IBB’s latest revelations, the controversy over the election had been laid to rest, hence Tinubu should declare Abiola one Nigeria’s Presidents posthumously.

“Yes, Abiola won the election. And I will say President Tinubu should declare him a president posthumously”, Kalu stated. 

He added, “Since Abiola won, his picture should be placed among Nigeria’s past presidents. I commend former President (Muhammadu) Buhari for giving him a posthumous national honour, but I would also appeal to President Tinubu to officially recognise him and place his image where it belongs.

“This would help bring succur to his family.”

When asked whether he thought IBB answered all the issues and debates his eight-year military rule generated in his book, Kalu responded that the memoirs was incomplete.

He suggested that the former military president should write the Volume II of the book, to be devoted largely to unanswered questions around the June 12 election, particularly the persons he claimed forced him to annul the result.

“I look forward to the second edition of Babangida’s book because the first did not reveal all the realities.

 “I was present during the events of June 12, and I know what happened. Babangida should call out the names of those responsible for preventing the election declaration.”

“The coup in question was not an Igbo coup; it was a Nigerian coup, executed by the military. Moshood Abiola won that election, and there is no doubt about it”, Kalu added.

Kalu also began a subtle campaign for President Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, saying emphatically, in a response to a question, “Yes, Asiwaju will win in 2027.”

Kalu, who wore a burgundy coloured dress on Tuesday, against his traditional all-white attire, said the colour meant continuity.

“This is continuity; it means Asiwaju, continue!”

He spoke further, “Many Nigerian presidents who have not performed well have still won a second term. 

“We are appealing to the Nigerian people to be patient with the reform process. We are not looking for another presidential candidate outside of our party; we are fully aligned with democratic principles and supporting the sitting president.”

Kalu went on, “The good news is that we will win again in 2027. The president will return, and Nigerians will celebrate with us. That is inevitable.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE