June 12: Democracy has come to stay, says Olabode Omoyele
By Steve Ovirih.
An All Progressives Congress, APC Chieftain, Mr. Olabode Omoyele has expressed with confidence that Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. He gave this view in his official reaction to the June 12 Democracy Day Celebration, which has been officially recognized and gazetted by Federal Government.
It will be recalled that prior to the emergence of the Bola Tinubu administration, May 29th was the official Democracy Day in Nigeria as this was the day the military handed over power to the civilian administration in 1999, which began this democratic dispensation. But in recognition of the June 12 day in that year 1993 when the freest and fairest election held in Nigeria which was annulled by then head of military junta, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, President Bola Tinubu, one of the radical activists who was actively involved in ‘the June 12 struggle’ gave an official recognition to June 12 Democracy Day Celebration.
Mr. Olabode while congratulating Nigerians on June 12, in an official statement personally endorsed by him noted that the worst of Democracy cannot be compared to the best of any autocratic government, stressing that the beauty of democracy is underpinned by the freedom of speech which allows Nigerians to point out without any fear their concerns, their criticism and their demands from the government they put in power through the ballot box.
He stated that Nigerians have every reason to be grateful to God and to all the heroes of Democracy who laid their lives down for Nigerians to be counted among nations where Democracy has come to stay across the globe.
Olabode, using the MKO Abiola family as a point of contact said 1993 offered Nigeria a great opportunity to align with other developed countries of the world democratically and Chief MKO Abiola was eventually Martyred for refusing to let go of the mandate he got from Nigerians on the election day, adding that his wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who was in her early 40s was also killed by agents of the junta for daring to rouse public consciousness against the annulment of an election acclaimed to have been worn by her husband.
“On this auspicious occasion of the celebration of Democracy in Nigeria, we remember all the heroes of June 12 and appreciate their labour of love for Nigeria. We cannot but single out the legendary MKO Abiola family whose patriarch and billionaire business man and politician, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola took the bullet for Democracy and offered to confront a daredevil military government in the demand for the actualization of his mandate.
“We remember the gruesome murder of his wife, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who was gunned to death in Lagos because she dared to demand that the military government should release her husband who was taken into detention and to hand over power to him having won at the presidential poll.
“Today, we have and celebrate Democracy because Chief Moshood Abiola, his wife and numerous others offered their life, their sweat and their substance as seed from which democracy has germinated, ” Olabode affirmed.
While congratulating President Bola Tinubu , whom he described as hero of Democracy, Olabode said for Democracy to continue to blossom, Nigerians must continue to support the government in power and must also continue to be law abiding citizens, stressing that while challenges on the economic and security front threaten our democratic process, cooperating with government stands as a Pilar of support to further entrench democracy in the country.
