Timi Frank Urges Tinubu to Posthumously Declare MKO Abiola as President on June 12
Calls for Payment of Abiola’s Salaries and Entitlements
Timi Frank, a former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on President Bola Tinubu to officially recognize the results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and posthumously declare Chief Moshood Kasimowo Olawale Abiola, the candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), as the rightful winner.
In a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, Frank also urged President Tinubu to ensure that Abiola’s family receives all salaries and entitlements that would have been due to him had he served as president for the full term.
Frank emphasized that this action was crucial, especially after former military president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who annulled the election, admitted to the legitimacy of the results. Babangida made this acknowledgment during the launch of his autobiography, A Journey in Service, where he stated that Abiola had won the election, blaming former military Head of State General Sani Abacha and other forces for the annulment.
In response, Frank further urged Babangida to show remorse by donating all proceeds from his book launch to the Abiola family as a form of atonement.
“I don’t believe Tinubu should delay any longer in formally declaring Abiola as president and granting him the recognition and entitlements he deserves,” Frank said. “The president can initiate this by sending a bill to the National Assembly to officially recognize the June 12, 1993 election results and declare Abiola as the winner.”
Frank also pointed out that Tinubu, a key figure in the June 12 struggle, was instrumental in efforts to have General Sani Abacha’s regime recognize Abiola as president and hand over power to him.
The Bayelsa-born activist, who is also the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, stated that it was not enough for Babangida to simply express regret over the annulment. He demanded a formal apology from Babangida to Abiola’s family and to Nigerians, who have continued to suffer the consequences of the annulment, which led to Abiola’s tragic death in military custody.
“Babangida must apologize to Abiola’s family and to the Nigerian people, who continue to endure the aftermath of his unjust and inhumane actions,” Frank said. “By nullifying the election, he initiated a series of events that led to Abiola’s untimely death. Until Babangida atones for his sins and Tinubu officially recognizes Abiola as a former president, Babangida will remain responsible for this historical injustice.”
Frank’s call highlights ongoing demands for justice and recognition for the late MKO Abiola, a symbol of the struggle for democracy in Nigeria.
