The family of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the recently honoured winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election, has made a six-point demand in order to fully appreciate the Federal Government’s gestures pronounced on Wednesday by President Buhari in honour of the late businessman and politician.

Speaking yesterday at a press briefing organised by the June 12 Movement of Nigeria, Abdul Abiola, one of the children of late Kudirat Abiola said though the family appreciates the honour bestowed upon their slain breadwinner of the family, the federal government has to go a step further to show that the gesture is not just a ruse used by the present administration to score a cheap political point.

“I was very elated when President Buhari awarded our late father with the highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) as well as declaring June 12 the official democracy day for the country. But it does not end there. June 12 is a struggle, it is not only about MKO Abiola, it is about all lovers of true democracy. It is about all those who lost their lives in the struggle – men, women and children. Since the government has now come out to openly accept the fact that our father was the winner of that election but was killed during the process of getting his mandate after the annulment by the same federal government, we demand that full compensation should be paid to our late father as president-elect. The family has gone through undue hardship since our father died mysteriously while in incarceration. If not for the fact that our stepmother, Mrs Adebisi Abiola has struggled for the past 25 years to keep the family together, it would have been a different story altogether,” narrated Abdul.

In a statement earlier read at the press briefing by June 12 Movement of Nigeria signed by Comrade Olawale Okunniyi (convener) and Professor Anthony Kila(chairman, planning committee), the Abiolas also demand that the sprawling residential quarters of the late MKO Abiola be converted to Democracy Center for Africa in conjunction with Kudirat Initiative for Nigeria's Democracy (KIND).

The Center, said the statement, would host visiting African leaders as well as activities to mark the now officially declared June 12 Democracy Day annually.

Other demands are that the federal government should, before Tuesday next week, being June 12, officially pronounce MKO Abiola as Nigeria’s elected president who never ruled, and accord him all the honours and privileges accrued to the office posthumously.

Another demand is that the federal government should, through the Ministry of Education, include June 12, and all that trailed it, as part of the school curriculum in the country. This, they said, will afford the generation yet unborn to have knowledge of the emergence of true democracy in the country, which June 12 stands for.

Other demands jointly presented by the family and the June 12 Movement are the gazetting of the federal government's declaration of June 12 as the new official Democracy Day in the country as well as the national honour of GCFR bestowed upon Abiola, and the immediate setting up of a process towards restructuring of the country, a philosophy which the late politician believed in and fought for before his demise.

In attendance at the press briefing were some politicians, opinion leaders and activists including Dr. Shina Fagbenro Byron – presidential aspirant KOWA party, Chief Rachael Oniga – a popular actor and member Nigerian Intervention Movement (NIM), Professor Anthony Kila, Alhaji Yerima Shettima – president Arewa Youth Forum(AYCF) Ebere Daniel, Actor Foluke Daramola Salako of the Change Agent of Nigeria, Owonifari Rasheed of KIND, and many others.

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