On June 12 in Lagos, The Patriots, a distinguished group of intellectual leaders working with the June 12 Pro-Democracy Movement of Nigeria, will hold a nationwide demonstration in memory of the late Chief MKO Abiola.
In a statement released on Sunday in Lagos, Prof. Anthony Kila, the chairman of the local organizing committee (LOC) for the June 12, 2024, Democracy Day event, revealed this. According to Mr. Kila, the demonstration would advocate for a people’s constitution in Nigeria under the slogan “Securing the Future of Nigeria through a Democratic People’s Constitution.” He states that the group’s national Democracy Day gathering will take place on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Conference & Exhibition Centre in Alausa, Ikeja.
He announced that Emeka Anyaoku, the Patriots’ chairman and a former secretary general of the Commonwealth, would serve as the event’s chair. Mr. Kila also mentioned that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would address stakeholders and activists on June 12 at the national rally. He claims that former vice president Atiku Abubakar, as well as the 2023 presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, have already been invited to deliver messages of goodwill at the function.
Sen. Shehu Sanni, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), according to him, were supposed to spearhead the anniversary discussion on “securing the future of Nigeria through a democratic constitution reform process.” Due to extremely urgent obligations, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, who was originally expected to give the keynote address at the event, has had to postpone his speech. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State, and Col. Umar Dangiwa, a former military governor of Kaduna State and activist for June 12th, have taken his place. They are scheduled to each make groundbreaking, wide-ranging interventions on the anniversary.
“The organizers of the historic event will also conduct a roll call of honors for Heroes and Heroines of the current democratic rule in Nigeria.” “A vibrant motorcade procession from the site of the national democracy rally for a people’s constitution for Nigeria in Alausa will cap off this year’s anniversary.” It will relocate to Chief MKO Abiola’s home on Toyin Street in Ikeja, Lagos, the martyr’s mansion for the contemporary Nigerian democracy.
“Here, together with members of the MKO Abiola family, prayers will be said for the repose of the souls of the departed heroes and heroines of democracy and tributes, as well as the laying of the annual wreath of honor in their memory,” Mr. Kila stated. In observance of Mr. Abiola, the widely recognized victor of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the federal government of Nigeria has designated June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
