The investiture of late Chief MKO Abiola as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, GCFR, Abuja has been held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with prominent Nigerians in attendance. Apart from the honour, the historic event also provided Nigerians the opportunity to have a first information on what Abiola’s mood was before the unfortunate annulment.
Hafsat, daughter of the late Chief Moshood Abiola, on Tuesday, in her vote of thanks at a ceremony where her late father was formally honoured as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, told the cheering gathering what MKO’s mood was shortly after the election. She said the late winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election was already rehearsing how to deliver his inauguration speech as the President before the election was annulled.
In an emotion-laden voice, she said her late mother told her how Abiola was standing before a mirror to rehearse his inauguration speech.
“Because MKO Abiola was a stammerer, I was told he never went beyond ‘Fellow Nigerians’ in the speech,” she said.
Hafsat, while accepting Buhari’s apology on behalf of the family, also apologised to the President for anything Abiola could have done or said to hurt him.
The first son of the deceased politician, Kola, later led other members of the family to thank Buhari and accept his apology.
In a related development, Mohammed, son of the late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as the “first sensitive and reasonable Head of State (sic) in the country.”
He commended Buhari for listening to the yearnings of Nigerians on the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election and acting accordingly.
