Former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, said the recognition of June 12 as National Democracy Day by President Muhammad Buhari indirectly recognised MKO Abiola as a past president of Nigeria.
Osoba said this during the celebration of the first National Democracy Day on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that the Day was significant as past presidents from 1999 had refused to recognise the day or Abiola’s sacrifices for Nigeria’s democracy.
He said that the late Abiola, who refused to surrender his mandate, suffered and died in the struggle for democracy for the country.
“I have lot of very bad memories about June 12, as a lot of people lost their lives for the struggle, a lot of families also suffered incurable damages, also a lot of people sold their properties to survive.
“I also suffered in the hands of Sergeant Rogers, who made two attempts to kill me and I was in hiding for almost a year, along others who paid the price.
“I also recalled that when I was a governor with a former president from my state and all efforts that we should do something to immortalise Abiola did not make any impact.
“You can therefore see why we are grateful to President Muhammad Buhari who recognises the significant of June 12.
“The significance is the full price paid by Abiola that is making us enjoy democracy that is 20 year old now.
“One of my own benefited from Abiola sacrifice to become president but here is Buhari who indirectly accepted that Abiola was once past president of this country, so those sacrifices that we also suffered are no more in vain,” he said.
He commended the President, saying that democracy have come to stay in Nigeria.
