Rights activist, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to conduct a free, fair and credible elections in Edo and Ondo states as a way to immortalise and honour winner of 1993 presidential poll, late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

She said the only honour that could be bestowed on the politician was to ensure that the ideal of free and fair election, which he stood and died for, was replicated in the forthcoming governorship elections in both states.

Odumakin said Abiola died for the collective struggle of entrenchment of genuine democracy and making the country a better place for people to live.

She said, “Conducting free, fair and credible elections in Edo and Ondo states like what we had on June 12, will be the best way to entrench democracy and immortalise MKO Abiola. 

“Also there is no way we can celebrate or mark June 12 and Democracy Day without the posthumous recognition of chief Abiola as a former President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and his portrait to be displayed among past Heads of State.”

She pointed out that June 12 election was about harmony and national unity as displayed by the overwhelming votes Abiola got despite his running mate being a Muslim like him.

She explained further that one of the cardinal objectives of the June 12 struggle was a ‘farewell to poverty’ which was aimed at making Nigerians prosperous and end hunger.

She said, “Another cardinal objective of the struggle was farewell to poverty but as we speak, Nigeria is the headquarters of poverty in the world.

“They need to abolish hunger and poverty in our country because these are not the spirit and vision of Abiola 1993 mandate.

“We need to have proper federalism and restructure Nigeria to douse the agitation that has engulfed the country following the escalation of the nationality questions occasioned by the annulment.”

Okei-Odumakin also commended rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, for standing firm for Nigerian people and speaking truth to power despite his incarceration and persecution by the Nigerian Government in recent time.