Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC-Abia) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to officially recognise the late Chief MKO Abiola as one of Nigeria’s former presidents, posthumously.
Kalu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Privatisation, also urged that Abiola’s portrait be displayed alongside those of past Nigerian presidents as a mark of honour.
Speaking at the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kalu’s remarks followed the recent admission by former military president, retired Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, that Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The June 12 election was widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history but was annulled by the Babangida-led military government.
Babangida, in his recently published memoir, A Journey in Service: An Autobiography, acknowledged that Abiola, a prominent politician and philanthropist, won the election.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, told journalists that with Babangida’s admission, the controversy surrounding the election had been resolved, and Tinubu should now take the next step by posthumously declaring Abiola as a former president.
“Yes, Abiola won the election, and there’s no doubt about that. I would like them to put Abiola’s picture where other presidents’ pictures are.
“I will appeal to President Tinubu to swear him in posthumously and also allow his picture to be where you have that of former Nigerian presidents.
“We have already given him most of the honours. I’m very thankful to former President Muhammadu Buhari, who gave him a national award.
“This will help bring succour to his family,” Kalu said.
When asked whether Babangida had addressed all lingering issues surrounding his eight-year military rule in the book, Kalu argued that the memoir was incomplete.
He suggested that the former military leader should publish a second volume of the book, focusing largely on unanswered questions about the June 12 election.
“I look forward to the second edition of Babangida’s book because the first did not reveal all the realities.”
Kalu also appealed to Nigerians to support Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027, stressing the need for continuity in governance.
“Many presidents in Nigeria who have not done very well have won their second time. We are appealing to Nigerian people.
“We are not going to ruffle ourselves in APC convention. We have only one presidential candidate, which is Bola Tinubu.
“We are not looking for any other person. The problem of Nigeria is some people not wanting to consolidate gains of reform.
“It may be very difficult today, very hard today. People are complaining, but the reform is trickling down.”
