The declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by President Muhammadu Buhari should be taken with a pinch of salt, according to the pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere.
Buhari had on Wednesday moved the date for the event from May 29th to June 12 and also handed a posthumous award to the late Moshood Abiola.
Abiola was the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election which was cancelled by then Military Head of State Sani Abacha.
However, in a statement, the Afenifere said, “We are not unaware that we are now in the election season and every attempt will be made to woo voters with issues that are popular.
“But be that as it may, we have canvassed for the honour of Chief Moshood Abiola since the annulment of June 12 and for June 12 to be declared democracy day for over two decades now. Therefore we accept the declarations and commend them.
“If we are able to hold free and fair elections, if we allow Nigerians to elect their leaders without hindrance, if the will of voters is acknowledged, if the ballot is allowed to reign supreme in the next Nigerian elections, then this would have celebrated our true belief in the spirit of June 12 and the proper honour of Abiola, who died on principle, insisting that the rights of Nigerians and their votes must be respected.
In addition, the body noted that, “fairness consist in giving even the devil his due. Like I said the true test of the motive and intention will come out in January, in fact right from Ekiti on July 14, we will know whether this is just a mere gimmick or a true spirit of democracy in the land. So it is not far for us to know the motive behind this.”
