President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly, in the week, tried to outplay each other in a common struggle to accord June 12 its place in the body polity. While Buhari played a fast one on his political opponents by declaring June 12 the new Democracy Day, in addition to conferring on the late Chief MKO Abiola, the highest honour in the land, GCFR, the National Assembly ordered INEC to release the June 12, 1993 presidential election result and declare Abiola an ex-President.
For once, this was one political initiative by both the president and lawmakers, which perhaps, signaled healthy competition as well as went on to draw admiration from all, including their political enemies. Whoever advised the both of them to travel that route has done for them a major image clean-up.
There is no doubting the fact that the place of June 12 in the annals of the nation’s body polity has been a subject of debate. But for June 12, Nigeria would not have been where it is today. However, the problem has been according June 12 its place of recognition. And 19 years after Nigeria’s return to democracy, Buhari and the National Assembly have just done that. It is creditable, their motives notwithstanding.
