President Muhammadu Buhari has formally conferred the posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on the late Bashorun MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of June 12, 1993, presidential election,.
At the ceremony that held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari, on behalf of the Federal government, apologised to Abiola’s family and the nation for the injustice of annulling that election, and the eventual death of the politician.
The June 12, 1993 election was annulled by the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Buhari said the decision to hold the event is not to open old wounds, but to bury negative sides of June 12 and it ill-feelings, hates, frustration and agony.
He, therefore, urged all Nigerians across national divides to accept the annulment of the June 12, 1993, poll in good faith.
“I honestly invite all Nigerians across all our national divides to accept it in good faith. Our action today is to bury the negative sides of June 12, the side of ill feelings, hates, frustration and agony.
“What we are doing is celebrating and appreciating the positive sides of June 12.
“The June 12 which reinstates democracy and freedom; the June 12 that overcomes our various divides and the June that produces unity and national cohesion.
“This is the June 12 we are celebrating today and we will nurture it to our next generation
“Accordingly, on behalf of the Federal government, I tender the nation’s apology to the family of late MKO Abiola who got the highest votes and to those that lost their loved ones in the course of June 12 struggle,” he said.
President Buhari asked for minute silence in honour of late MKO Abiola and those that lost lives in the struggle for the actualization of June 12
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo tendered an apology for not being a presence at the event because of his involvement in a book launch outside the country.
Former President Ibrahim Babangida equally tendered a similar apology for his absence because of his health condition.