President
Muhammmadu Buhari has announced that henceforth, June 12 will be celebrated as
Nigeria's Democracy Day.
The president announced this in a statement he
personally signed on Wednesday evening.
Since 1999, Nigeria has been celebrating May
29 as her Democracy Day.
President
Buhari explained that the change in the date of Democracy Day celebration
followed due consultations.
He said
the Federal Goverment had also decided to award posthumously the presumed
winner of the June 12 presidential election, the Late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale
Abiola, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).
He said Abiola’s running mate, Ambassador
Babagana Kingibe and the late human rights lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, would also
be awarded Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON).
Buhari
stated: “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 21st, 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 12 th,
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 ment 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 actualization of the June 12th elections and indeed for Democracy in general, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi
SAN is to be awarded the GCON.
“The
investiture will take place on Tuesday June 12th, 2018, a date which in future
years will replace May 29th as a National Public Holiday in celebration of
Nigeria Democracy Day.”
Comments