Some Key players during the 1993 presidential election have called for a shift of Nigeria’s presidential inauguration day from May 29 to June 12.

The key players who were panellists at the 2023 Democracy Day celebration, organised by the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), made the call on Monday in Abuja.

Among the key players were Jonathan Zwingina, the then-director-general of the Abiola-Kingibe Presidential Campaign Organisation in 1993, and Magnus Abe.

Mr Zwingina said credit should be given to Mr Tinubu for his Democracy Day speech, adding that his words were significant because they came from a president with foresight who identified what transpired during the June 12 struggle.

He said the annulment of June 12, 1993, presidential election by military dictator Ibrahim Babangida and the honour bestowed on Mr Abiola, the presumed winner of the election, showed that the country needed strong and virile political institutions currently being built.

Mr Zwingina described many of those who fought for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria after the annulment of the June 12 presidential election as committed patriots.

The politician said such individuals, including Mr Tinubu, made the sacrifice in the interest of democracy and not for Mr Abiola.

Tijjani Ibrahim, at the event, described Tosin Adeyanju, the convener of the Patriots in Defence of Democracy, as one of the strongest and earliest young pillars that contributed to Mr Tinubu’s electoral victory.

(NAN)