Notwithstanding the apologies tendered by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Abiola family over June 12, a pro-democracy group has said restructuring would remain the only basis for earning the support of the Southwest and other zones who have conceded to the idea.
The group, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution (CDNDC) has also described the certificate bearing the GCFR honour conferred on Late M.K.O. Abiola as “deceptive,” and an improper way of honouring the dead.
The CDNDC in a statement by its Convener, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, also labeled as “disingenuous and shocking that the same leaders from the Southwest who had dissuaded the Abiola family from accepting a more befitting naming of University of Lagos after him, could return to persuade them to accept an honour on paper.
“First, we want to make it clear that there is no alternative to restructuring, because the proper struggle for the actualisation of the real June 12 had successfully gave rise to this noble idea, which is now the only way out of the false system that we operate.
“We want to state categorically that the politically sophisticated people of Southwest and other zones who have conceded to restructuring will not tradeoff the only option left for Nigeria with Buhari’s version of June 12.
“There is no political masterstroke that can emplace restructuring; the proper celebration of June 12 should be the official announcement of Abiola as the winner of the election by the federal government, the naming of a befitting edifice after him and the introduction of an executive bill in the parliament to alter democracy day celebration from May 29 to June 12.
“Concerning the certificate of GCFR awarded to Abiola, it is totally deceptive and improper to confer such a noble honour on the dead without the document bearing the right inscription as a posthumous declaration, even when its legality has been questioned.
“It is equally, unthinkable, disingenuous, shocking and retrogressive, that some leaders from the Southwest who had previously dissuaded the Abiola family from accepting a more befitting naming of University of Lagos after M.K.O, could return to persuade them to accept an honour with a controversial certificate that will only be confined indoor.
“It is unfortunate that some proponents of June 12 decided to allow such an enviable struggle to be mired in the controversy of a purported political masterstroke to revive a dying aspiration of man who never identified with or believed in June 12,” the statement said.
