Buhari deserves no praise over June 12 declaration - Sowore, Agbakoba

Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN)

A presidential aspirant in the coming 2019 General Election and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday said that praising President Muhammadu Buhari for proclaiming June 12 as Democracy Day will be an injustice to all the people that led the struggle back then.

Sowore said this while speaking to 25th Anniversary in commemoration of June 12 election won by Bashorun MKO Abiola, but which was later annulled by the regime of Military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

The Sahara Reporters publisher, however, said President Buhari should ensure that all outstanding entitlements belonging to the late Abiola family, while those found to have been involved in the annulment of the election be punished as those that betrayed Abiola were still having a good time in the country.

Sowere posited that he saw the proclamation on June 12 made by Buhari to backfire the same way one made by his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan did when he tried to name UNILAG after Abiola, saying the president could not deceive Nigerians that he liked Abiola as he was not known to have raised a finger when the election was annulled.

 “All his outstanding entitlement should be paid to his family and those that e annulled the election should be punished because those that betrayed Abiola are still having a good time in the country.

“I see his June 12 declaration as a political game and going to backfire the same way Jonathan was when he tried to name UNILAG after Abiola. Buhari cannot deceive us that he like Abiola because he did nothing when his election was annulled,” Sowore said.

A former president, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), on his part, said there was no reason for jubilation over the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day.

According to him, this is because it was MKO Abiola rightful entitlement, declaring: “June 12 declaration is a Greek gift and today’s honour in Abuja is institutional, not because of President Buhari but because MKO Abiola is entitled to it.”

“I don’t laud the president for anything, because this election was won as you know 25 years ago, rather it is people that championed the struggle that deserves the praise,” he added.

Tribune