Give meaning to MKO Abiola’s honour by declaring him President-elect, Dino Melaye tells FG

FOLLOWING President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement of June 12 as Democracy day and conferment of the GCFR title on the late MKO Abiola, Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Constituency has admonished the federal government to give meaning to its announcement by officially declaring Abiola as President-elect and mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the official results of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

Melaye, who spoke against the backdrop of reservations by Nigerians about his stance on the declaration, said since the federal government had admitted that the June 12 election was the freest and most credible election, it should display sincerity of purpose by going a step further to officially recognise Abiola as the winner of the election.

In addition, Melaye averred that is was imperative for the federal government to propose amendments to the National Honours Act 1964 to prevent legal issues that may accompany the federal government’s declaration.

While noting that the honour for Abiola was long overdue, he noted that amending the act to accommodate the current declaration will also prevent a reversal of its June 12 declarations.

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The statement, in parts, read, “For the avoidance of doubt, my views and belief on the sanctity of June 12 and the place of the late Chief MKO Abiola in Nigeria’s democratic history, have not changed and will not. Hence, in my view, the decision by the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to honour the late business mogul is deserving and long overdue save for attendant legal issues raised.

“Let me also make it abundantly clear that while both Chief Abiola and the late legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) deserved more than the GCFR and GCON Honours respectively to be bestowed on them posthumously next Tuesday, it is however important that the right thing is been done in their memory and therefore should not have any blemish in the guise of the current debate for legality or otherwise of the historic Honours as we are witnessing now.

“I urge the Federal Government to do the needful and display sincerity of purpose by officially recognising Chief Abiola as President-elect and cause the official results of the June 12, 1993, presidential election to be released by INEC since President Buhari himself had admitted in the Presidential Order designating June 12 as Democracy Day, the freest and most credible election. By so doing, the GCFR title will, therefore, have a meaning.

“If the right thing is done now by the Federal Government by proposing amendments to the National Honours Act 1964 to accommodate the current developments, no government in future will reverse the decision. This is my stand as a lawmaker.”