By James Ezema & Biodun Ogundare

LAGOS—Eminent Nigerians including former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pioneer chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu yesterday
called on the Federal Government to honour late business mogul and winner of annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.

They spoke at Muson Centre, Lagos State during a public presentation of a book titled, “Diary of a Debacle: Tracking Nigerian’s Failed Democratic Transition (1989-1994)”, written by renowned journalist Dr. Olatunji Dare. The book was reviewed by prominent poet, Mr. Odia Ofeimun.

The book presentation coincided with 73rd posthumous birthday of the late politician whose victory as president was annulled by administration of then Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida in 1993.

Also present at the event were chairman of the occasion, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Adebisi Akande, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who
represented Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Speaker Lagos State House Of Assembly, Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji,  Dr Doyin Abiola, Engr Rauf Aregbesola, former Governorship candidate of ACN in Osun State, among others.

Speaking at the presentation, Atiku recalled how his political ally, late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua in Jos predicted the annulment of the June 12 presidential election by the military government when the political calculation that would
have made him the running mate to Chief Abiola did not materialise.

He said: “I just heard here that there was somebody who wrote to Chief MKO Abiola that he did not believe the transition (programme) was going anywhere.

There were many Nigerians who never trusted the transition programme of former Military President Gen. Babangida. But one Nigerian I knew long before the 1993 elections, who predicted the annulment of that election was late Gen. Shehu Musa
Yar’Adua.”

According to him, “Before the SDP primaries, the Northern delegates met in Kaduna and agreed to vote for MKO Abiola as their first choice and my humble self as the second.

“Our calculation was that after the voting, MKO Abiola will emerge as number one and I’ll be number two. But after the first ballot, MKO Abiola emerged first and I emerged third and then there was this confusion in Jos. Delegates were
confused. What we sat down to agree in Kaduna was not implemented in Jos and
there was no leadership”, Atiku said.

He further revealed that when he invited the late General over to resolve the impasse and he drove all night to Jos, “Early in the morning, he called those close to us for a meeting and said we should vote for MKO Abiola at the second
ballot.

“He said, ‘I’m telling you this for two reasons: the West voted for me at the SDP primaries, two, if either you, Atiku, or Kingibe emerge as the elected candidate, Babangida will most likely annul this election and if he did it, the
north was not politically sophisticated protest. But if you elected MKO Abiola, the West is politically sophisticated to protest. Then we will join the west and support them to drive the military out of power. And that was we went and did.
We elected him, Nigerians elected him and IBB annulled the election and the west
protested”, Atiku recalled.

On his part the former EFCC boss, Ribadu, described the annulment of the presidential election as criminal, saying “it was a big lie to say that my Northern brothers had a hand in the annulment of the June 12 election because they were not happy with the result. Bloody lie. The truth is that it was the biggest lie of the century. All Nigerians voted for Abiola”, adding “the annulment of the June 12 election was the hadiwork of a few people who thought
they were doing the best for Nigeria”, noting that “we almost lost Nigeria in
1993. The annulment amounted to political corruption, denied us of our needed
stability and so many lives were lost.”

Ribadu therefore enjoined the federal government to give befitting honour to the late politician for his supreme sacrifice for the democracy Nigerians enjoy today.

Ribadu while describing the book as a presentation of the most defining event in Nigeria’s history, insisted: “For God’s sake, he (MKO) should be recognised. He made this democracy we’re enjoying today possible. And up till now, the Federal
Government has not found it necessary to do something about it. I want you to join me in requesting that the Federal Government must recognise Abiola”.

To this, everyone present applauded.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in his own comment said that, “until Chief MKO Abiola is recognised as the fourth democratically elected president of Nigeria, justice is not done”.

On speculation on presidential ambition of the former EFCC boss, Tinubu urged him to make it real, just as Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Comrade Ayodele Adewale, who represented the 20 local governments and 37 council
development areas in the state at the event urged Ribadu to join Action Congress of Nigeria and run for presidency under its platform in 2011.

Meanwhile, student groups at the event through their spokesman, Comrade Ahmed Agbabiaka urged Independent National Electoral Commission and Federal government to ensure that tertiary institutions in the country were not closed ahead of
future elections, arguing that during voters’ registration exercise, students register on their campuses but during elections the schools were closed thereby disenfranchising 14 million Nigerian students.