TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says Kudirat Abiola, wife of Moshood Abiola, presumed winner of the 1993 June 12 election, deserves to be honoured.

Kudirat was assassinated in June 1996. She had fought for her husband’s mandate and died in the process.

On Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on late Abiola the award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

The president also awarded Babagana Kingibe, running mate to Abiola, and Gani Fawehinmi, human rights lawyer, with Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).

In a statement on Friday, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the APC, while commending Buhari, recalled how Kudirat mobilised people from all walks of life against military rule.

“The APC believes that Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who paid the supreme price with her assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996 at the heat of the mobilisation for the restoration of her husband’s mandate as the winner of the 1993 presidential election, deserves to be honoured in her own right as a heroin and martyr of democracy in Nigeria,” the statement read.

“APC recalls how she mobilised market women, students, activists and other human rights community against military rule and the struggle for a truly democratic nation.

“The party equally commend the decision to honour Abiola’s running mate, Babagana Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi SAN with the second highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).

“In taking this courageous and patriotic decision, the President has again displayed a sincerity of purpose and his well-known penchant for doing the right thing irrespective of political and sundry considerations.

“As a party, we remain resolved in our struggle to deepen our democracy and continue to improve on the transparency and credibility of our electoral systems. We reiterate that regardless of its imperfections, democracy remains the best form of government that can best serve the interest of our people.

“We affirm that this decision by president Buhari yet again exemplifies APC’s commitment to the sanctity of popular elections and respect for the right of the people to freely choose their leaders in accordance to that fundamental principle of democracy that no man has the right to exercise power over other men, except with their consent.”