Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu has disagreed with the insinuations that President Muhammadu Buhari declaration of June 12 as the new date for Democracy Day is politically motivated.
Ojudu who spoke exclusively to Business Day noted that as a responsive leader, Buhari has only done the bidding of most Nigerians after 25 years and it is not targeted at scooping votes from the South West as wrongly speculated.
He stressed that South West remains the President’s stronghold and the massive votes he obtained there in 2015 would rather increase in 2019, hence the new democracy day is not a campaign strategy but affirmation of the actual date democracy was rooted in Nigeria.
“It is a welcome development and it has nothing to do with politics or 2019. The President has done a lot of things to earn him second term. So the June 12 democracy day instituted by Mr. President is not in any way connected with the 2019 general elections”, Ojudu maintained.
Buhari on Wednesday announced that Nigeria’s Democracy Day has been shifted from May 29 to June 12.
The President also announced that the late Moshood Abiola who was the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 Presidential election will be posthumously awarded the highest Honour in the land, GCFR conferred only on Presidents and Heads of State in Nigeria.
Since the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election adjudged as the most free and fair in the Nigeria’s history by Ibrahim Babangida, the then Military President and with the return of democratic rule on May 29, 1999 there have been agitation for June 12 to be made Democracy Day.
States in the South West geopolitical Zone of the country where the Abiola hailed from have in recent years been holding anniversaries synonymous with democracy day celebration.
While others have seen the June 12 Democracy day only from the political perspective, Idayct Hassan, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development viewed it as a significant milestone in the democratization process in Nigeria.
Hassan however suggested that the day should come into effect from next year to spare the country of additional spending, hence the defunct Democracy Day of May 29 had just been celebrated.
She told Business Day that June 12 democracy day is a plus for Nigeria democracy even though it has taken long to come but it is a welcome development.
“My worry is that, are we going to have celebration again? Because that one will cost money. Hopefully it should take effect from next year.
“June 12 is symbolic to Nigeria not just in terms of free and fair election but is actually one crisis that unite Nigeria. During the agitation for June 12, it was seen as a national issue with all stakeholders fighting for the realisation of the mandate”, Hassan maintained.
