Almost all the states in South West Nigeria have declared Tuesday, June 12 as public holiday. Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Ondo said the day would be work-free, as they also line up commemorative events.
In Oyo state, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, said the declaration by government was to commemorate the 25th anniversary of June 12 1993 election generally and widely believed to have been won by late business mogul, MKO Abiola.
The Oyo government expressed satisfaction that 25 years after the election adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria, the winner of the election, the late Abiola, was recognized by the Federal Government.
The Oyo government also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the posthumous award of the highest honour of the land, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Abiola.
It lauded the decision to make June 12 as the Democracy Day in recognition and honour of the martyrdom of Abiola and others who fought for the actualization of democracy in Nigeria.
The state government described the late politician and business mogul as a symbol of democracy.
“We commend and appreciate the late Abiola’s strong conviction that the ordinary Nigerian must be freed from the shackles of oppression, poverty, penury and want,”it said.(NAN)
