June 12: "Buhari has done what other presidents couldn’t do"

The Director, Center for American Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Prof Jonah Onuoha has commended President Mohammadu Buhari for bestowing the highest national honour to late Chief Moshood Abiola, the supposed winner of the annulled June 12 presidential election in 1993.


Speaking in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Prof Onuoha said that though the president may want to score some political points with the move, he deserves serious commendation for taking the bold step as he has done what past presidents failed to do.

“The President has done justice to the family of Late Abiola, to Western Nigeria and the entire nation. He should be commended for that. Past presidents failed to do this, so Buhari has done well.

“I don’t know why there is all these noise about it. It is true that there could be a political undertone to it but the courage with which it was done should be commended. On the other hand, the West is also expected to reciprocate this gesture in 2019.

“Though I am not Yoruba, I am happy about this development and I know most Nigerians are happy about it too especially the Yoruba and they will reciprocate during the elections,” he said.

According to him: “the real democracy day is June 12 and not May 29. Nigerians have no historical attachment to May 29. So on that day, everyone should come out to celebrate Democracy. May 29 should remain as a day for handover of power but not our Democracy Day.

On the lingering crisis between the executive and the legislature, Prof Onuoha posited that, “clashes are normal in any establishment, what is happening is good for democracy”.

He however frowned at the way the Senate president Senator Bukola Saraki was being labeled as a criminal in some quarters stating that such was not in any way reasonable.