Hafsat Abiola-Costello, daughter of the june 12, 1993 presidential elections lambasted former president Olusegun Obasanjo the immediate beneficiary of the annulled june 12 elections for not honouring her father and others who paid the supreme price for Nigeria's democracy throughout his eight year tenure.......
She commended President buhari for deeming if fit to recognise June 12 as Nigeria's democracy day, and said further that the honour were significant steps towards ensuring justice for all Nigerians who took part in birthing an event which has become a watershed in Nigeria's political history. The speech of the human rights activist at the investiture were below;(The point.ng, Tribune).
She said, ”Obasanjo did not even ask for a minute of silence for the Democracy martyrs on his inauguration on May 29, 1999,” she noted. “I had expected that the handover from military rule to democracy would be held on the 12th of June.That would have signalled the completion of a circle that began with a dream deferred.That became one fulfilled but I waited in vain.
“The handover was set for May 29, a date pulled out of thin air, signifying nothing.Then I thought that the chief beneficiary would ask the country to observe a minute of silence in memory of MKO, Kudirat, Alfred Rewane, Umaru Yar’Adua, Bagauda Kaltho, the thousands of students, the tens of journalists, traders and politicians who lost their lives fighting to actualise an unjustly annulled election.
“Again, I waited in vain for he started his inauguration speech and nothing was said.
“The first four years passed and it became clear that the goal was to erase the name of the man whose sacrifice paved the way for our democracy.Those four years set the tone.
“And I got tired of waiting, as it slowly became clear that to wait was to wait in vain.
“I stopped expecting my country to do the right thing by my father and instead began to understand why Nigeria struggles to find patriots among its leaders.
“Until when President Muhammadu Buhari gave an executive order to declare that June 12 was Nigeria’s Democracy Day; To confer on MKO the title of GCFR, an honour reserved for presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“To confer on Gani Fawehinmi, the dogged fighter for justice, and my father’s running mate, Babagana Kingibe, the title of GCON, the second highest in the land; And in one day, demonstrated to my bruised heart that integrity, fairness, honour were alive and well in a country for which both my parents had sacrificed their lives.
“There are no words that can capture the depth of my gratitude nor the breadth of my joy.I thank God that I am alive to witness this day.She said it is difficult to try to stand in for ”one of the greatest human beings (Abiola) that the world ever had.”
“Even for Chief MKO Abiola, it was difficult to imagine how he would speak to Nigerians in his inauguration speech.
“My mum told me how he would stand in front of the mirror, preparing the speech because the results were coming in and he thought he would surely deliver the speech.
“You know he was a stammerer and he would start … ‘fellow Nigerians,’ and he never really got past ‘fellow Nigerians’. He would say a few words and then reply, ‘not like that’, and he would start again,’’ she explained.
“Although he was Yoruba, he loved Hausas, Kanuris, Efiks, Igbos and all, you just needed to be a Nigerian,’’ she said.
Mrs Abiola-Costello said her father’s recognition by the president is worth it ”especially for a family which gave a lot.”
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