Oyo Declares Monday Public Holiday

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has declared today, June 13, as a public holiday in commemoration of the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to the Governor, Mr. Yomi Layinka, conveyed the governor’s decision yesterday.

“12 June remains a watershed in the history of the country, because of the significance of the day in the nation’s democratic journey, having broken all ethnic and religious barriers,” the governor said, adding: “The annulled election is yet to be matched in terms of freeness, fairness, transparency, openness and widespread acceptability.”

Stating that Abiola laid down his life for democracy to thrive in the country, Ajimobi urged the federal government to immortalise the presumed winner of the election.

He said: “That the symbol of the annulled election, Chief MKO Abiola, opted to pay the supreme price to defend his mandate has deepened democracy and the price he paid is what the comfort the political leaders are enjoying up till today.

“I want to, once again, urge the federal government to immortalise and officially recognise Abiola as a former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to confer on him the highest honour in the land befitting of a former president.”