Lagos
State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has declared Friday, June 12 as a
work-free day in commemoration of the annulment of the June 12 1993
elections.
In a statement signed by the Chief Press
Secretary to the Governor, Mr Habib Aruna, on Thursday, the Governor
said that the date marked a watershed in the annals of transparent, free
and fair elections in the country.
He said
June 12, 1993 was the day Nigerians voted in one voice without ethnic,
racial and religious bias, saying it represented the real democracy day
when Nigerians said no to voting along ethnic lines.
The
Governor said regrettably, 22 years after the annulment, the Nigerian
nation is still grappling with some of the vices which the June 12, 1993
elections sought to confine to the dustbin of history through undue
clinging to ethnic cleavages by some political gladiators.
He
urged Lagos residents to spend the day in sober reflection and in
remembrance of the martyrs of the June 12 elections struggle for laying
the foundation of the democracy which the nation is now enjoying.
Similarly,
in accordance with the June 12 (Declaration As M.K.O. Abiola Day) Law
of Ogun State, the Ogun State Government has also declared Friday as
work-free.
According to a press statement by the Secretary to
the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, the government enjoined
residents of the state to spend the day to celebrate the 22nd
anniversary of the annulled election peacefully.
He asked for
prayers for the continued repose of Chief Abiola whom he refereed to as
“the martyr of democracy”, and for general political and socio-economic
growth of the country.
The June 12, 1993 election was presumed to have been won by late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
Also Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has declared June 12 as public holiday in the state.
This is contained in a statement issued by Soji Eniade, the state’s Head of Service.
The
statement quoted the head of service as saying that "the Executive
Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has approved Friday, June
12, 2015 be observed as public holiday in the state."
He said
the date was set aside to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of June 12
general election that was annulled by the then military government.
He
stated that Ajimobi had urged the people of Oyo State to remain
steadfast in their prayers for sustainable democracy in Nigeria and
development in Oyo State.
Credit: Channels/Nigerian Tribune
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