‎* Thanks Buhari for recognition
Tobi Soniyi in Lagos
The family of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola has said that the posthumous conferment of t‎he Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Abiola was the only befitting recognition of Abiola’s fight for democracy in Nigeria.
Buhari had on Wednesday declared that the nation’s Democracy Day would henceforth hold on June 12 of every year as against the current arrangement where it holds on May 29.
The president also conferred the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) national award on Abiola who was widely believed to have won the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The GCFR is the nation’s highest national honour exclusively reserved for presidents and heads of state.
In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari written by the scion of the Abiola’s family, Kola Abiola, which he made available to THISDAY, he expressed the family’s appreciation to the president.
The letter read: “On behalf of the wives, children and grandchildren of late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, I am writing to formally express our sincere appreciation ‎to you for conferring him with the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and designing June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria going forward.
“Your Excellency, as I wrote in my letter to you on June 12, 2016, in our minds, the award was the only befitting recognition of the importance of Chief Abiola’s fight for democracy for Nigeria which culminated in 4 years ‎in incarceration/solitary confinement and decimation of his usiness and financial interests, before the ultimate sarifice, being his life on July 7 1998 at the age of 60.
“Your Excellency, your decision to also designate June 12 as Democracy Day rights the wrong done to all the nation-builders and heroes that produced the democratic credentials on which the Nigerian polity now thrives.
“We are profoundly grateful to the people from ‎all corners of Nigeria that worked tirelessly to ensure  the most free and and fair elections in our nation’s history in 1993, fought valiantly for the Hope 93 mandate given to Bashorun Abiola by the Nigerian people and died trying to protect the mandate.
“Mr President, I thank you earnestly for heeding our plea where others before you did not, whilst conveying the assurances of my highest esteem.”
Details later…
