June 12: All former presidents, heads of state absent at Democracy Day event

None of the former heads of state and presidents attended the Democracy Day celebrations at Eagle Square in Abuja.
The event is the first since President Muhammadu Buhari approved June 12 as Democracy Day in honour MKO Abiola, presume winner of the 1993 presidential election.
Since return of democracy in 1999, May 29 had been observed as democracy day. Although Buhari took his oath of office for his second term on May 29, major events of the programme were moved till June 12.
While former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, attended the May 29 event, he was conspicuously absent at the one of June 12.
Aside Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, also a former head of state, ex-presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and former interim president, Ernest Shonekan, were all absent.
But world leaders at the event included President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania; President Paul Kagame of Rwanda; President George Weah of Liberia; President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo; and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.
Others are: President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Adama Barrow of Gambia; President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic; President José Mário Gómes Vaz of Guinea-Bissau and President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as well as Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives also attended.
…11 African leaders attend ceremony
No fewer than 11 African leaders attended the ceremonies for the maiden celebration of June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria on Wednesday.
Among them were President Idris Deby of Republic of Chad; President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania; President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President George Weah of Liberia; President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.
Others were President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe; President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Adama Barrow of The Gambia and President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic as well as the Prime Minister of Uganda, Ruhakana Rugunda.
On arrival at Eagle Square, Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari went round to have a handshake with each of the leaders and representatives of other world leaders represented at the ceremony.
Buhari arrived at the venue at 10.05 a.m., watched the parade mounted by members of the Nigeria Armed Forces and Nigeria Police Force before being driven round the arena in an open vehicle.
Other dignitaries at the ceremony included the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and wife, Dolapo, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Federal Government marked Democracy Day on June 12 for the first time after the president signed the law to commemorate the 1993 Presidential Election considered to be the freest and most credible poll in Nigeria.
The election which the late MKO Abiola won as the candidate of the Social Democratic Party against Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC), was cancelled by the military government led by Ibrahim Babangida.
In the past 19 years, the country had marked May 29, which was the date the military handed over power to civilians, had been marked as Democracy Day.
…SSS stops rally in Ibadan, arrests 3
Officers of the State Security Service (SSS) yesterday stopped a gathering organised by the Yoruba Summit Group in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The group, an amalgamation of socio-cultural and self-determination groups in the Southwest including the Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders, Yoruba Koya Movement, Yoruba Unity Forum and Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), had converged to discuss insecurity in the country especially in the region.
The summit was billed to take place at the Agodi Government arcade before it was stopped by the secret security outfit.
The security operatives in about five buses and clad in a black uniform had arrived around 7 a.m. and cordoned off the area.
Three people, including the sound system operator engaged for the event, were whisked away to the DSS office at Alesinloye headquarters of the agency.
A public affairs analyst and state coordinator of Oodua Coalition Against Insurgency and Kidnapping in Yorubaland, Tunde Hamzat, and a woman activist simply identified as Princess Oyeronke were among those arrested.
The activists dispersed only to reconvene at another location a few hours later where they addressed a press conference on the state of the nation.
The spokesperson of the OPC (New Era), Adesina Akinpelu, confirmed the arrest.
“We got all the necessary approval but we were surprised to see men of the SSS arriving much earlier, even before the coalition members, with the intent to stop the rally.”
He said the security officials are still on the lookout for other leaders of the coalition.
Akinpelu said the botched rally was tagged “O to Ge’ to commemorate June 12.
“It was called to address the issue of insecurity in the land and safeguard Yoruba people who are becoming endangered in the land through incessant kidnappings and wanton attacks on their farmlands.
“We don’t want to take laws into our hands and that’s why we called the meeting to drum it to the hearing of Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari, that aside declaring June 12 democracy day, he should also tackle the issue of insecurity in our land.”
Online medium Premium Times could not get the reaction of SSS in the state as an operative told the medium that only the headquarters of the agency in Abuja could speak on it.
June 12: Speaker charges Kwarans to emulate Abiola
The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi has congratulated Kwarans and Nigerians on the occasion of the Democracy Day and first of its kind to be celebrated on June 12.
The lecturer turned politician, made this known in a statement personally signed by him and made available to newsmen in Ilorin.
Danladi noted that as lawmakers, democracy is symbolic as it necessitated the existence and operations of the arm of government, as representation of the voice of the ‘people’, who are the pillar of democracy.
“It is indeed remarkable that since 1999, we have had 20 years of uninterrupted democratic transitions and still counting”, he said.
The Speaker added that, it is plausible that the appropriate day for celebration of democracy day in Nigeria have been duly recognised, noting that the recognition of June 12, which commemorates the June 12 1993 democratic election of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, adjudged to be the freest and fairest in Nigeria, came with the lesson of motivation for patriotism, “assuring us all that our labour for this Country will not pass uncelebrated, even when we pass on.”
He charged Kwarans and Nigerians to invoke the spirit and exhibit the culture of patriotism and sacrifice to our father land.
He noted that celebrating our heroes past transgress the symbolic June 12 as a date, the celebration of their struggles should be reflected in our thoughts, actions and inactions to issues affecting the peace, progress and stability of Kwara State and Nigeria at large.
“Once again, I congratulate Kwarans and Nigerians, as I restate our commitment to the service of the people who are the heroes of our growing and uninterrupted democracy. We shall do everything humanly possible to ensure dividend of democracy is evenly distributed, without fear, favour and recourse to sectional, ethnic or religious affinity.”
Kwara shifts June 12 celebration by 48hrs
The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has shifted activities commemorating the June 12 Democracy Day in the state to Friday June 14.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, on Monday, the Governor said, “This is to enable state Governors, including Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on the invitation of the Federal Government, to join Mr President and over 80 foreign leaders and dignitaries at the inaugural national commemoration of the day in the capital Abuja.
“What this means is that the event slated for the Metropolitan Square and State Banquet hall in Ilorin will now hold on Friday 14th June instead of Wednesday June 12.
“Kwara will nonetheless observe the national holiday slated for June 12 as earlier announced by the Federal Government. There will be no new holiday on Friday.”
The statement noted that many other states are also changing their own schedule of the event as they joinsPresident Muhammadu Buhari for the inaugural June 12 commemoration in Abuja.
“We urge the Kwara public and all invitees (from outside Kwara) to the events in Kwara State to please take note of this slight change in the schedule,” it added.a
… Kwara traditional rulers call for unity
As Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day yesterday, residents of the state have been urged to unite and bury their differences to facilitate even development that would further strengthen the nation’s democratic setting and ensure good governance across Kwara State.
A cross section of traditional rulers in the state made this known in their Democracy Day message to the people of the state and the country.
According to the Emir of Shonga, Edu Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Ndanusa Haliru Yahaya, no meaningful development can be achieved where peace does not exist hence the need for the people to continue to be their brothers’ keeper.
Yahaya noted with delight that what the country needed now is prayer to enable government both at all levels achieve their goals.
Also, the Chairman of Ekiti Traditional Council of Obas and the Olosi of Osi, Oba Saliu Abdulkareem Abdulkareem Adasofegbe Arowobeku called on Nigerians to align with the initiatives of the new government across the state to enable them excel in their new assignment.
In his remarks, the Alamoyo of Amoyo, Ifelodun local government, Oba lbrahim Jamiu Oyebola emphasised the need for tolerance in order to sustain the nascent democracy while urging the people to remain united to enjoy more dividends of democracy.
On his part, the Oloyipo of Eggi Oyo-Ipo in Irepodun local government, Oba Abdulwahab Adeoye Jinad urged Nigerians to turn a new leaf by cultivating habits that will contribute immensely to the nation’s socio-economic growth.
Also, the traditional ruler of Sapati-Ile, Asa LGA, Alhaji Bolakale Salami appealed to the affluent in the society to respect constituted authority while also urging the government at all levels to implement new programmes and policies that would impact positively on the masses.