Daughter of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria, Haven’t Abiola-Castelo has commended the Federal Government for declaring the day as the new Democracy Day, saying this “has corrected Nigeria’s faulty democratic foundation.’’
Abiola-Castelo stated this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abeokuta, the Ogun capital.
President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement on Wednesday had declared that June 12, 1993 was more symbolic of democracy in the Nigerian context than May 29 formerly regarded as the nation’s Democracy Day.
Abiola-Castelo, who described Buhari’s action as courageous, noted that it had rooted Nigeria in the process that actually produced Nigeria’s democracy.
”What the past leaders have been telling us since 1999 was that the June 12 issue is a South-West issue and I wondered why an election in which vast majority of Nigerians voted for one person could be so described.
“I have been wondering over the years if Nigerian leaders are so petty and without moral compunction as to limit and confine such activity and date to regional affair.
“President Buhari has, however, done the right thing and acceded to the yearnings of Nigerians and made it a national issue.
”I believe more Nigerians will now be ready to re-dedicate their lives to Nigeria and be ready to commit themselves selflessly and sacrificially to the nation like late Moshood Abiola did,” she said. She noted that the development would also motivate and impact on the mindset of Nigerian leaders in taking bold steps to do the right thing.
“There was a time we had a president in 1999 whom Nigerians begged to recognise the date but refused and remained insensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians for eight years.
”The good Lord has proven that such insensitivity has limit and has raised another president who has now done the right thing 25 years after while that former president is still living to witness the glory he should have taken go to another president with a large heart.
“There is an arrogance to power but leaders should realise that the only thing that tempers the arrogance of power is the temporariness of power,’’ she said.
She also noted that the development would further boost Nigeria’s image internationally as the world would begin to take Nigeria more seriously and relate with the nation with more respect.
Abiola-Castelo encouraged Buhari to take more courageous steps to fix Nigeria, particularly in the areas of the economy and political structure.
She commended the leaders and people of the SouthWest region of Nigeria for remaining resolute and committed to the June 12.
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