WIDOW of late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential poll, Dr. Doyinsola Abiola, 74, has urged Nigerians to ensure that the unfortunate incident did not recur in the country by building strong institutions.

Dr. Wuraola Abiola is the daughter of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola, the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll. She is the last child of Abiola’s first wife, the late Simbiat Atinuke Abiola. An organizational behaviour expert, she runs a consultancy firm and also sits on the board of many companies including Unicorn Group. In this interview with Vanguard, Wuraola expresses how much she missed her father and urges Nigerians to embrace his ideals for democratic growth in the country.

FORMER Lagos State Governor and All  Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was one of those in the forefront for the actualisation of Abiola’s presidential mandate and was even forced to go on exile while fighting for the cause. And since the return of democratic governance, he has also made a strong case that June 12 be recognised as Nigeria’s Democracy Day instead of May 29.

THIS year’s recall of an uplifting day in the year 1993 comes up against a background of its most shameful disavowal: the 2019 elections – still under judicial contestation – an event that would be more accurately described as an exercise in body count rather than ballot count.

For the first time since 1999, Nigerians are celebrating Democracy Day on June 12, instead of May 29 which was the case in the past 25 years. This change in date is a fulfillment of  the promise made last year by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to honour the late Chief Chief   Moshood Kashimawo Olawale, MKO, Abiola whose June 12, 1993 presidential election victory was annulled by the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida on June 23, same year.