Akeredolu tasks leaders on June 12

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has commended the resilience and sacrifice of Nigerians, which culminated in the enthronement of democratic governance in the country.
Akeredolu, a governorship aspirant in Ondo State on the platform of the All Progressives Party, praised Nigerians for consolidating on the enthronement of democracy by voting into power progressive governments at the federal level and in many states of the federation in the 2015 general elections in the country.
According to the governorship hopeful, the journey started with the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Moshood Kashinmawo Olawale Abiola, adding that the June 12, 1993 election remained the indisputable foundation for free and fair elections in Nigeria, as well as the current democratic rule, which is its offshoot.
Akeredolu, in a statement released by the Aketi Media Group to mark the 23rd anniversary of the June 1993 presidential poll, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent and realistic decisions to honour Abiola and others who paid the supreme price for the enthronement of democracy in the country.
He argued that honoring Abiola and others is perfectly in agreement with the national anthem that the labour of our heroes shall not be in vain.
“I want to plead with President Muhhamadu Buhari to use his good offices to honour MKO Abiola and the others who contributed in no small measures to the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. Such gesture, I am sure will give birth to a new generation of Nigerians who will be will to sacrifice for their fatherland, knowing that such sacrifice would not be in vain,” Akeredolu said.
The former NBA president, while commending the resilience and dedication of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other leaders of the party to the ethos of democracy, hailed some states in the South West for declaring June 12 a public holiday in honour of Abiola and all the heroes of democracy in Nigeria.
“As Nigerians commemorate this great milestone in our country, we must continue to hold our leaders accountable and ensure zero tolerance for impunity and subversion of popular will of the people… No society thrives in an atmosphere of arbitrariness. We must defend the ideals of democracy and put the interest of the people far above personal, egocentric and hegemonic desires of a privileged few,” Akeredolu declared.