by Adekunle Williams
A former lawmaker, Lagos State House of Assembly ,sir Jude Idimogu says the clamour to declare the late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the 1993 Presidential election, as one of Nigeria’s past presidents posthumously needs the National Assembly backing.
Idimogu, who represented Oshodi-Isolo constituency 2 from 2015 to 2023, made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.
His call followed recent revelations in the memoir of former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), who admitted that Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
“I want to thank the president for honouring the heroes of democracy such as the late Kudirat Abiola, late Bola Ige among others for their struggles.
“Yes, Abiola won the 1993 election but President Tinubu needs the National Assembly backing to declare him a ex-president posthumously.
“This issue also has to do with the mood of the Mr president and the legality of the issue.
“However, we should not forget that MKO Abiola was not declared the president by the then NEC because the election was not concluded before it was annulled.
“It is now a choice between what the constitution says and what the current president also wants and probably when you talk about the legality, the National Assembly has to be involved.
“So, generally, I think the implementation has to do with the frame mind of the President,” he said.
Idimogu commended former President Muhammadu Buhari for honouring Abiola with a posthumous national award but stressed that further recognition was necessary.
The former lawmaker said even though the June 12, 1993 election might had come and gone but there were still lessons to be learnt.Idimogu said a lot of factors would be considered if the country must have a replica of the June 12 in her future elections.
According to him, first of all, we must have a true independent electoral commission and the president must not have interest in choosing who heads the commission.
The ex-lawmaker said it was difficult to replicate this in the current dispensation, adding that he don’t think they could have an election like June 12, though Nigeria could tried but it would be difficult because of the interested parties.
He said: “If the president doesn’t want to intervene in INEC affairs, the party may be concerned to ensure their candidates win.
“Another factor is during the 1993 election, Nigeria was not divided the way we are today. Majority of Nigerians were interested on how we can move the country forward but today it is a different ball game.
“Remember that Humphrey Nwosu conducted the election with the Option A4 but it is a different ball game with today’s politics.”
On how Nigeria could perfect the electoral system, Idimogu decried that majority of the leaders and followers lack patriotism and they don’t put the country’s interest at first.
