The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for conferring the GCFR on Chief MKO Abiola.
The National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Shehu Gabam who addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja, said the decision was not only a welcome development but a relief for the SDP on whose platform the late Abiola won the election in 1993.
Gabam, however, queried the timing of the honour saying Buhari should have done it much earlier.
“Why did it take three years for Buhari to acknowledge the sacrifice that Abiola made for democracy to be established in the country? All the intelligence reports and other information necessary for government to have taken this decision had been available to the presidency in the last three years.
“This right decision should have been taken earlier than now and that would have given this administration the opportunity to mark June 12 as Democracy Day.
“The conferment of GCON on Ambassador Babagana Kingibe who was the running mate of Chief MKO Abiola is glaringly misplaced and self-serving. Ambassador Kingibe renounced the June 12 mandate as quickly as the military gave him a pot of porridge.
“He accepted ministerial appointments, first as foreign (affairs) minister and later as minister of interior under the draconian administration of Abacha. Kingibe did not participate in the struggle hence he does not deserve this national honour,” Gabam said.
The party congratulated the family of the late Abiola and all those who either lost their lives or suffered persecution during the struggle against the military.
The party called on the government to grant the late Abiola as well as the entire heroes and heroines of our democracy and Nigerians the highest honour by ensuring that the 2019 general election is as free and fair as the June 12 election.
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