The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider granting honour on the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
The APC, in a statement issued through its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday also hailed President Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day and granting posthumous award of Nigeria’s highest national honour (Grand Commander of the Federal Republic) to the late Chief MKO Abiola, winner of the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993.
The party, however, expressed its belief that Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who paid the supreme price with her assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996 at the heat of the mobilisation for the restoration of her husband’s mandate deserved to be honoured in her own right as a heroine and martyr of democracy in Nigeria.
The party recalled how she mobilised market women, students, activists and other human rights community against military rule and the struggle for a truly democratic nation.
It also hailed the decision to honour Abiola’s running mate, Babagana Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi with the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).
“In taking this courageous and patriotic decision, the President has again displayed a sincerity of purpose and his well-known penchant for doing the right thing irrespective of political and sundry considerations.
“As a party, we remain resolved in our struggle to deepen our democracy and continue to improve on the transparency and credibility of our electoral systems. We reiterate that regardless of its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of government that can best serve the interest of our people.
“We affirm that this decision by President Buhari yet again exemplifies APC’s commitment to the sanctity of popular elections and respect for the right of the people to freely choose their leaders in accordance to that fundamental principle of democracy that no man has the right to exercise power over other men, except with their consent,” the statement read.
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