President Buhari’s honour on MKO Abiola: a reward or plea for votes

President Muhammadu Buhari took the decision to recognize June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day; this is a change from the original May 29.

The President further conferred national honours on Chief MKO Abiola, the adjudged winner of the 1993 presidential election, his running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and Gani Fawehinmi.

This is to the surprise of many Nigerians who did not expect such gestures from the President Buhari. Some have declared the issues of June 12 as dead and gone when former President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to do the needful. Obasanjo was expected to honour Abiola for two reasons: 1. As a Yoruba president, the same tribe with the late MKO Abiola, Obasanjo surprised many by ignoring Abiola and his family. 2. Obasanjo and the late politicians shared almost the same political history namely imprisonment. They were both victims of military highhandedness. It would have been a form of solidarity for Obasanjo, also a former Head of State, to honour his kinsman.

But the point of discourse is about the honours on the politicians by President Buhari. Nigerians have expressed diverse feelings about the gesture. While some are looking at 2019 to have motivated the goodwill, some have only but praises for the Federal Government, while others are of the opinions that even if Buhari’s intentions may seem opaque, he has made a bold step. According to them, all Nigerian leaders in the democratic era, failed to treat this big issue of injustice.

An Abuja-based social activist, Samuel Olu, in his view, said, “Nigerians can easily be deceived. That is the truth. But do you blame them? They hardly see such gestures from their leaders; that is why when they see one, they embrace them with both hands.

“This is Buhari’s third year in office, why did he wait until June 2017? Well we shall see.”

But that is not exactly the opinion of a top political journalist, Kyrian Obikwe, who believes that, “Whether the President did to seek reelection or not, the truth is that he has done what many people could not do. Nigerians, especially the South West can only appreciate him.”

Mrs. Joy Chikelu, a civil servant, said that, “President Buhari did this to smoothing the grand for his second term.

“He (Buhari) declared to run in the next election and is now looking for how to placate the regions. So I’ll say that this is one of those ways.”

Well, to those who do not understand Nigerian politics or those who may pretend not to be following political atmosphere from 1996 till date, the truth is that we will keep doubting until 2019 comes and goes and the politician will rejoice again having successfully used Nigerians.

Nigerian politicians have mastered this way of winning the hearts of the electorates when a general election is close, especially those of them seeking second term in office. We witnessed during the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. It was either they reduced the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly known as petrol or they start repairing dilapidated roads, or repainting school buildings, or visiting states they had neve visited. Nigerians, being a people that do no demand so much, are easily deceived.

The conferment of honour on Abiola has changed the opinion of many Yoruba people about President Buhari, believe or not. We have followed South West politicians like the ever critical former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode. One can easily detect the change in his opinion of the President. The Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, in a swift reaction when the first made the pronouncement, lauded Buhari for the gesture. He even slammed Obasanjo for refusing to honour their hero.

If this one gesture would melt the heart of these two politicians, it would penetrate more in the ordinary voter.

Judging from the past experience, one would authoritatively say that Buhari will do more of this gesture. He would touch the South East, the South South and the middle belt. He has record of all their challenges. He may not be able to solve all of them. But he would certainly do the needful. But is Abiola’s honour a reward, or a plea for votes.