Lasun Alagbe
Celebrated comedian, Igodye, has slammed many Nigerian politicians and other stakeholders over the way they have been conducting democracy in Nigeria.
Speaking on the June 12 at 30, he says omst of those condemning the military leader who annulled the landmark 1993 election won by the late MKO Abiola have been doing worse things.
His argument on Twitter: 
Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is currently speaking on the Saturday’s poll won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Addressing the media, he said there was no Internet in the country when the country’s freest and fairest election was held in 1993.
He lamented that the winner, MKO Abiola, and his wife, Kudirat Abiola, died in the struggle to realise the mandate.
Atiku, however, said that last Saturday’s poll was grossly flawed.
He said it was neither free nor fair.
A daughter of late Chief MKO Abiola, Mrs Lola Abiola-Edewor, on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to do his best to address security challenges in the country.
Abiola-Edewor, a former member of the House of Representatives, made the appeal during a ceremony to lay wreath at the tomb of her late father, at his house in Ikeja.
The ceremony was part of the programme organised by a pro-democracy group, June 12 Movement, to commemorate the anniversary of the June 12, 1993 election.
Late MKO Abiola was the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, which was annulled by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida military regime.
Abiola-Edewor said the problem of insecurity in the country was becoming a big issue which needed to be frontally tackled.
She expressed the family”s gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the post-humous award given to her father, and for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day.
The late politician’s daughter said Buhari had demonstrated uncommon courage for taking the steps.
She said that if Buhari could do what previous governments thought could not be done, he could also address insecurity with the right determination.
Abiola-Edewor therefore urged the president to take urgent and result-oriented steps to find lasting solutions to the problem of insecurity.
”We thank the president for the honour bestowed on our late father and the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day.
”We are very grateful for this honour done the family and the Nigerian people.
”However, I want to appeal to the president to address the security challenges in the country, as the issue is getting serious.
”If the president could declare June 12 as Democracy Day, despite denials of the past, I believe he can tackle the problem of insecurity in the country, ” she said.
Abiola-Edewor also thanked Nigerians of all backgrounds for standing with the family over the years.
She described her late father as a lover of the people and a firm believer in democracy.
According to reports, laying of wreath which was witnessed by the state deputy governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; renowned political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi; Sen. Shehu Sani, among other dignitaries, was followed by a lecture on June 12.
Speaking at the lecture, a former Vice-President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Issa Aremu, also commended the president for recognising June 12 and declaring it a public holiday.
The labour activist thanked the National Assembly for passing the bill recognising June 12 as Democracy Day.
Aremu said the June 12 Act was one of the best laws enacted by the present government, just like the Minimum Wage Act, in terms of impact and reflection of the peoples wish.
The labour leader said the enactment of the law was a triumph for democracy.
”The June 12 Act, just like the Minimum Wage Act, is one of the best laws made by the present government.
”I commend President Buhari and the National Assembly on the law; it is a triumph not only for democracy but also for the Nigerian people,” he said.
He described June 12 as a watershed in the country’s history, as it was the day Nigerians shunned all sentiments to vote for a man of their choice.
READ ALSO: June 12: What Abiola stood for yet to materialise – Yoruba youths
Also speaking, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi, son of the late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, said the lessons of June 12 should guide the country’s democracy.
He said the country’s democracy was still far from where it should be.
Leader of the June 12 Movement, Mr Wale Okunniyi, said the programme was organised annually to commemorate the day democracy was truly demonstrated by Nigerians.
He said that the group had been vanguard of struggles to actualise June 12 and was glad that the historic day had been declared Democracy Day.
NAN reports prayers were offered for the peaceful repose of Abiola’s soul at the programme.
Tobi Ijalana
Son of the winner of Chief MKO Abiola, winner of the June 12 election, Jamiu Abiola, has said that the Abacha government decided to eliminate his mother, Kudirat Abioola, when it realised she was the one behind the oil workers’ strike that paralysed the polity.
According o him, Kudirat, became an arrow head of the battle when her husband got detained.
In an interview on NTA, Jamiu noted that the petroleum workers’ strike was potent and sustained until the government arrested the oil union leader then, Frank Kokori.
He said it was when they still saw how the struggle was going, and discovered it was being funded by Kudirat, that they went for her.
He noted that, hitherto, he had in company with other members of his family met MKO during the early days of his detention.
He noted that he advised his father to forget about the mandate and regain his freedom but the man said no.
“My father said he was ready to face the firing squad,” Jamiu added.
According to him, when he also told his mother to slow down, based on the fact that some of the champions of the battle, such as Alfred Rewane, had been killed, she too refused.
Jamiu said, “She asked, ‘Is it not just one bullet.’
Alhaja Kudirat Abiola (née Adeyemi), popularly known as Kudirat Abiola (1951 – 4 June 1996) was assassinated whilst her husband, Moshood Abiola was being detained by the Nigerian Government. Her husband was the winning candidate in Nigerian elections and he was arrested shortly after the elections.
She was born in 1951 in Zaria and was the second and senior wife of her husband.Her children with her husband were Yusau Olalekan, Hafsat Olaronke, Abdul Muman, Hadi, Moriam and Khafila. Her husband had over several other children.
She was assassinated whilst her husband was being detained by the Nigerian Government
The killing was the subject of an investigation and trial many years later.
According to accounts the murder was ordered and then carried out by six men. Abiola died in her car from machine gun fire. Her driver also died. Her personal assistant who was later accused of being involved with her assassins was in the car but was not hurt.
Her husband continued to be detained without charge after her death. He died in suspicious circumstances just before it was said he was to be released on 7 July 1998