Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana has stated that late MKO Abiola had already been acknowledged by Nigerians as the elected president since the historic June 12, 1993 election, long before any official recognition.
Falana made this assertion during an appearance on Channels TV on Tuesday while reacting to former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida’s recent admission regarding the annulled election.
“For Nigerians, MKO Abiola has been recognized as the elected president since 1993. Those who tried to turn back the hands of time are only just realizing this now,” Falana remarked.
The senior lawyer also criticized the idea of former military rulers establishing presidential libraries, arguing that only elected leaders should have such institutions.
“No former military Head of State has ever set up a library. What do they want people to read there? A library should be established by an elected president. If they insist, then it should be named ‘Former Military President Library’ to avoid confusion,” he stated.
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Falana further argued that the title “military president” was a contradiction, as a president must be elected by the people.
“He [Babangida] said he chose the title ‘president’ based on a suspended constitutional provision. But that provision did not recognize military dictators. Every officer under that constitution must be elected,” he added.
MKO Abiola’s victory in the June 12, 1993 election was widely considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, but it was annulled by the Babangida-led military government, plunging the country into political turmoil.