The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has thrown its weight behind calls for President Bola Tinubu to posthumously declare Chief MKO Abiola as Nigeria’s rightful President.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Justice Faloye, made this known in an interview on Tuesday, aligning with an earlier demand by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who urged the federal government to give Abiola the long-overdue recognition.
“We support the proposal. In fact, we reached the same resolution during our monthly meeting on Tuesday,” Faloye told Punch.
He noted that former President Muhammadu Buhari had already conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) honour on Abiola, a title traditionally reserved for Presidents.
According to him, Tinubu should take it a step further by officially recognizing Abiola as a past Nigerian leader.
“If Tinubu could go further, it would be a welcome rectification of a historic political injustice,” Faloye added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District, had called on Tinubu to recognize Abiola as a former President, arguing that his victory in the annulled June 12, 1993, election should not be erased from history.
“Yes, Abiola won the election, and I believe President Tinubu should declare him President posthumously,” Kalu said while addressing journalists at the National Assembly Complex.
Kalu commended Buhari’s move to confer a national honour on Abiola but insisted that further recognition was necessary.
“Since Abiola won, his picture should be placed among Nigeria’s past Presidents. This would bring closure to his family and the entire country,” he stated.
His call follows the recent admission by former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, who acknowledged for the first time that Abiola won the June 12 election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
