Okei-Odumakin backs Senate on declaring June 12 results

Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Women Arise for Change Initiative (WA), on Thursday agreed with the Senate for a posthumous declaration of Chief MKO Abiola as President.

Odumakin also said that Senate was right in trying to make the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to announce the results of the 1993 election and declare Abiola and Babagana Kingibe president and vice-president respectively.

It was reported that President Buhari on Wednesday declared that June 12 will henceforth be celebrated as Democracy Day.

He also conferred a posthumous national honour of GCFR on the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election, MKO Abiola.

He had added that Abiola’s running mate in the election, Kingibe, and late human rights lawyer, Gani Fayehinmi (SAN), would be vested with Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).

While backing the declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, some Senators urged Buhari to take a step further by making the date a national holiday.

They also urged the president to order the INEC to announce the results of the election, declare Abiola and Kingibe president and vice-president respectively, and approve the entitlements due to them.

Reacting to the Senate’s call, Okei-Odumakin said that the official release of the results would clear the air on Abiola’s victory, saying that no one henceforth will call Abiola the “presumed ” winner of that election again.

“Our attention has been drawn to the resolution by the Senate calling on the INEC to officially declare the results of June 12, 1993 elections.

“This is an encouraging decision and the natural sequence having declared June 12 Democracy Day and putting due recognition for Abiola.

“The official release of the results will clear the air on Abiola’s victory.

“We also demand that Abiola should thereafter be declared an elected President of Nigeria with all posthumous recognition.

“The appeasement of his spirit will be complete with this,” she said.