Kola Abiola Urges Tinubu To Honour Victims Of June 12 Annulment
The eldest son of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Kola Abiola has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to formally recognise Nigerians who suffered persecution, imprisonment, or death following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
In a statement titled ‘IBB’s A Journey In Service: A Substantive Response’, Abiola emphasised the need for a national register and monument to immortalise the victims of what he described as one of Nigeria’s most painful democratic tragedies.
He noted that several individuals — journalists, activists, and loyalists — paid the ultimate price for standing by the mandate freely given to his father at the polls.
“We recommend that the Federal Government also formally recognise the sacrifice of the following people: journalists and activists such as Mallam Mohammed Adamu, Mr Alao Aka-Bashorun, Mr Olu Akerele, Rtd Col. Olu Bamgbose, Mr Frank Kokori, amongst many who were either jailed or killed,” Abiola said.
He added that their contributions have remained largely undocumented and unappreciated in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Abiola called for the opening of a national register of unnamed victims and the construction of a public monument to serve as a constant reminder of the struggle for June 12.
He said that doing so would help educate younger generations and preserve the memory of Nigeria’s fight for democratic freedom, especially as 62% of his father’s children, like many Nigerians, are under the age of 45 and may not fully grasp the significance of the events of 1993.
The late MKO Abiola, widely believed to have won the 1993 election, was posthumously recognised as a former president by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2018, with the conferment of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) honour.
The federal government also declared June 12 as Democracy Day and renamed the national stadium in Abuja after him.
Abiola commended the Buhari-led government for acknowledging what he termed a “national wrong” and offering an apology to the Abiola family and others who lost loved ones in the aftermath of the annulment.
He contrasted this gesture with the stance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whose administration, he said, the events of June 12 were ignored.
He further criticised the economic impact of the annulment, noting that the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), the scrapping of MKO’s vast business empire, and the financial loss of setting up the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC), which reportedly cost about $5 billion in 1993, compounded national hardship.
According to Abiola, recognising the full scope of the June 12 debacle is crucial not just for healing, but for embedding historical truth, accountability, and justice in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
