Democracy Day: Ogun Government reverses death sentence for some convicts

Ogun state government,  Southwest West Nigeria has approved the committal of six convicts on death row to life imprisonment and also released 40 inmates, as part of activities to commemorate  the Democracy day.

The committal to life imprisonment and release of the convicted inmates is in accordance with the provisions of Sections 212 (1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, (as amended) and Sections 4 and 5 of the Ogun State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy (Establishment Law), Laws of Ogun State 2006.

State Governor, Dapo Abiodun announced this at the commemoration of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, held in  Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

Governor Abiodun charged Nigerians to draw strength from the 1993 general election and make the 2023 exercise even better.

The governor also advocated stringent punishment for violators of due process during elections, declaring that peoples’ votes must count and be respected in 2023.

He said that the struggles of June 12 as orchestrated by late MKO Abiola gave birth to the seamless democracy Nigeria enjoyed in the last 29 years, emphasising that  “only by upholding the tenets of democracy and ensuring its sustainability that Nigerians can truly honour the memory of those ideals that MKO Abiola and others stood and died for”.

“The greatest tribute we can pay is not by making merry on this day or accord ourselves only holiday. We are to make a scorecard of our appreciation and honour to our founding fathers who have sacrificed so much towards the creation of our country and make every effort to sustain their worthy legacies”.

“As we approach yet another electioneering process, let us all resolve and draw strength from the 1993 general election and make the 2023 exercise even better. The process to a free, fair and credible election begins, among other things, with voters’ participation in the registration exercise. For the 2023 general elections to be a huge success, every eligible Nigerian must register to vote and actually take part in voting on the day of election”.

“If the ideals matter to us, religion and ethnicity too should not become campaign issues or determinants of who gets what, when, how in our body-politics or become primary considerations in our leadership recruitment and governance processes. I can envision how these Nigerians, who gave their all would be cringing in their graves, seeing us celebrating divisive vices and our do-or-die politicking”.

 

“Let us keep hope and fair-play alive in Democracy. We have to fashion out a way to ensure to make democracy in Nigeria a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Today offers an opportunity for the enthronement of democratic values and best practices – democracy that is devoid of hate, war of attrition, and violence. It simply should be an opportunity for peoples’ votes to count in elections”.

 

Governor Abiodun urged Nigerians to internalise democratic values and tenets of the late Chief MKO Abiola and other heroes and heroines on democratic principles and practices.

 

“Our schools should teach children and we should hold them in our hearts and not in our mouths. We labour in vain if we claim to have laid the ghost of June 12 to rest as long as Nigeria still experiences banditry, insurgency and ethnic champions still hold sway. Rather than all these vices, we should restore our country back to true federalism and ensure that powers are properly devolved”, he added.

 

The governor, however, assured that his administration would continue to deliver on its electoral promises and fulfil the dreams of Ogun founding fathers.

 

“As we reflect on the unquantifiable, selfless sacrifice and contributions of  MKO  Abiola and other democratic legends towards the development of our fatherland, I enjoin us all to rededicate ourselves to the service and unity of our great nation. Beyond this celebration, I enjoin you all to shun all acts that could be an albatross against the democratic success we have made and continued to sustain in our dear state in the last 36 months. This is the only way we can make progress and achieve our collective dream”. 

 

Similarly,  in their respective goodwill messages, prominent members of the Civil Society Organizations , particularly the trio of Comrade: Femi Aborishade; Funke Fadugba and Niran Malaolu all admonished participants never to see June 12 celebration as an opportunity to advance divisive messages which would jeopardize the existence of Nigeria as a nation.

 

They called on Nigerian leaders to advance the course of improving the standards of living of every citizens by eradicating poverty, eradicating budgetary deficits in government as well as promoting women inclusiveness in governance, which they described as the ideals of late M.K.O Abiola.

 

Meanwhile , the Family of  late Chief MKO Abiola demanded that all political office seekers for year 2023 general elections must adopt the manifestos of the Hope ’93 Movement if they genuinely intend to keep the memories of the martyr of democracy in Nigeria alive in their quest to rebuild the nation.

 

The family made this known  at a  prayer session organized  for Late  MKO Abiola  held at the family house in Oja Agbo in the Abeokuta North Local Government Area,  of Ogun state, South West Nigeria.

 

Head of the Abiola’s family,  Mr Murtala Abiola stressed that what would make the spirit of their late matriarch to  rest in his grave peacefully, is to see Nigerian government implementing the Hope ’93 Movement’s manifestos, which rest on poverty eradication; youths employment as well as care for the aged people among others.

 

He also appealed to the Nigerian government to institute a Bill to the National Assembly  which would give legal backing to payment of all entitlements due to late Abiola even four years after he was officially acknowledged as the winner of the 1993 election and also posthumously decorated with the title of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) by  President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

 

Highlights of the event included a march past by students, unions, organisations and associations, as well as observation of a minute silence for late MKO Abiola , the Owo massacre and other legends of democracy.