Pro-democracy groups on Wednesday called for the official announcement of June 12, 1993 presidential election result.
They urged the Federal Government to declare the late Bashorun Moshood Abiola winner of the poll.
The activists, who gathered at Orogon Event Centre, Ogba, Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, to mark the 26th anniversary of June 12, said the declaration of the historic day as Democracy Day indicated that Abiola won the election.
Abiola was the presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the election described as free and fair.
A chieftain of defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu (retd) said Abiola was a philanthropist who believed in Nigeria and the uplifting of the masses.
Kanu hailed the Federal Government for declaring June 12 the nation’s Democracy Day and honouring Abiola.
He urged leaders to show good example and accountability.
Organiser of the event and Aare Anakakanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Gani Adams, noted that the honour the government bestowed on the late Abiola was well deserved.
He said the Yoruba nation would be much fulfilled if the government declared Abiola winner of the election, adding he should be recognised as former President.
Adams noted the country had not made socio-economic progress since the annulment of the election.
The Yoruba leader advised the government to address the problems.
“Our demand now is the declaration of June 12 election result and immediate declaration of Abiola as a former President of Nigeria. What is happening across the country is against the spirit of June 12, whose mantra was ‘hope for all’.
“Today, hunger and killings are everywhere; only restructuring of the country can help us. It is a shame that in this age, states still go to Abuja to get federal allocation before they can survive,” Adams said.
President of Women Arise, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin noted that declaring the late Abiola a former President is the best way to immortalise him.
She said: “We appreciate what the government has done so far, but the befitting way to immortalise him is to declare that election result and declare him a former President of Nigeria.
“We demand the declaration of June 12 election result. Today, Nigeria is the capital of poverty, and hunger is everywhere. What is happening negates what June 12 stands for.”
The Nation reports that National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, also extoled the virtues of the late Abiola, saying June 12 is a landmark event in the nation’s history.
