Afenifere Questions Buhari’s Motive For Declaring June 12 Democracy Day

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has questioned President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day and the posthumous award to the late Moshood Abiola.

The group, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin said it had canvassed for “June 12 to be declared democracy day for over two decades.”

Odumakin, while noting that the government might be trying to woo voters ahead of the 2019 general elections, said there was a need to test the motives and true intentions of the government.

He, however, said it was a welcome development and commended the declarations.

“We are not unaware that we are now in the election season and every attempt will be made to woo voters with issues that are popular,” Odumakin said.

“But be that as it may, we have canvassed for the honour of Chief Moshood Abiola since the annulment of June 12 and for June 12 to be declared democracy day for over two decades now. Therefore we accept the declarations and commend them.

“If we are able to hold free and fair elections, if we allow Nigerians to elect their leaders without hindrance, if the will of voters is acknowledged, if the ballot is allowed to reign supreme in the next Nigerian elections, then this would have celebrated our true belief in the spirit of June 12 and the proper honour of Abiola, who died on principle, insisting that the rights of Nigerians and their votes must be respected.

“They say fairness consist in giving even the devil his due. Like I said the true test of the motive and intention will come out in January, in fact right from Ekiti on July 14, we will know whether this is just a mere gimmick or a true spirit of democracy in the land. So it is not far for us to know the motive behind this,” said Odumakin.