A prominent human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, has reiterated that the late MKO Abiola has been recognized as Nigeria’s elected president since the 1993 general election.
Falana made this assertion in response to the recent admission by former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, regarding the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 election.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, Falana emphasized that the latest confession only serves to validate the stance of the Nigerian people on the 1993 election.
“Since 1993, MKO Abiola has been recognized by the people of Nigeria as an elected president. These individuals who attempt to turn back the hands of time are only acknowledging this truth now,” Falana stated.
The activist also addressed the recent proposal to establish a library by former military leaders, suggesting that no former military Head of State had ever set up a library. He pointed out, “What do you want to read there? You can only have a library set up by an elected president.” Falana added that if such a library were to be created, it should be properly titled as the “Former Military President Library” to avoid confusion. He argued, “It shouldn’t just be a presidential library because you will confuse people. There’s nothing like a military president. You can’t have a military president because a president is elected by the people.”
Falana further critiqued the justification provided by Babangida for his choice of title as president. According to Falana, Babangida had claimed in his book that he adopted the title in line with a suspended provision of the constitution. However, Falana contended that the suspended provision did not recognize a military dictatorship, and that every officer under the constitution was required to be elected.
