Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun roll out commemorative programmes

In recognition of June 12 as a watershed in the history of the nation, states in the South-West, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Lagos, have declared Tuesday public holiday.

The Oyo State government at the weekend declared the day work-free.

The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said that the declaration was to commemorate the anniversary of June 12 1993 election.

Arulogun expressed satisfaction that 25 years after the election adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria, the winner of the election, the late Chief Abiola, was recognized by the Federal Government.

He commended President Buhari for the posthumous award of the highest honour in the land on Chief Abiola and the decision to make June 12 the Democracy Day in recognition and honour of the martyrdom of Chief Abiola and others who fought for the actualization of Democracy in Nigeria.

Arulogun described the politician and business mogul as a symbol of democracy, noting that his strong conviction that the ordinary Nigerian must be freed from the shackles of oppression, poverty, penury and want would forever be appreciated and commended.

In Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun also declared the day work-free to enable residents and stakeholders mark and celebrate the recent conferment of a posthumous national honour on Chief Moshood Abiola.

In the last seven years, the Amosun-led administration had consistently declared June 12 work-free and commemorated it with varied activities.

Several events, including a Democracy Walk to be led by the Governor Amosun, have been lined up for the celebration.

The walk scheduled to take off  from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta at 7.00a.m will take participants through major roads in the state capital to the Abiola family house at Oke-Ido, Gbagura, where prayers will be offered for the martyr.

Also, the Lagos State Government on Saturday declared June 12, 2018 as public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the annulled 1993 Presidential elections.

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The state governor,  Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government,  Mr. Tunji Bello said the significance of June 12, 1993 elections, adjudged as the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria, would always be a reference point in the state’s quest to entrench true democracy in service to the people.

Commending President Buhari’s declaration, the governor said the singular act would forever ensure that Chief MKO Abiola and other martyrs of democracy who laid down their lives in the struggle to entrench good governance did not do so vain.

“On behalf of all Lagosians, we want to commend and applaud Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari for deeming it fit finally against all odds from all other past presidents that 25 years after, we are able to now celebrate our own Democracy Day and also declare that the real winner of 1993 June 12 Presidential election was actually our own MKO Abiola,” the statement said.

The Osun State government has also declared June 12 as public holiday to mark Democracy Day in the state.

Dr Obawale Adebisi, the Commissioner for Home Affairs, in a statement on Saturday in Osogbo, said the public holiday was in line with a policy of the state to observe June 12 as Democracy Day every year.

Adebisi said the present administration had since inception been observing June 12 as Democracy Day in remembrance of the 1993 presidential election, which was adjudged the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria.

The commissioner said Governor Rauf Aregbesola had always maintained “June 12, 1993 was the day democracy was born in Nigeria.

“Aregbesola’s stance on June 12 as Democracy Day had been justified by President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration of the day as Nigeria’s Democracy Day instead of May 29.

“We also commend the President for honouring Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election with a posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).”