The Anambra chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) says lessons learnt in the annulled June 12 presidential election in 1993 should be used to address the current political issues in the country, urging President Bola Tinubu to honour former National Electoral Commission chairman Humphrey Nwosu.

CLO leader Vincent Ezekwueme said applying such lessons and the spirit of the June 12 poll were the only ways to prove that the nation had learnt well from its mistakes.

The Anambra CLO chairman, who stated this while addressing journalists on Monday in Awka, was speaking on the need to address remote causes of the political problems in Nigeria.

Mr Ezekwueme said the various challenges bedevilling the country were politically motivated, and therefore, political principles needed to be applied to appease the masses.

He noted that the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the annulled June 12 presidential election, presumed to have been won by MKO Abiola of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP), should nail any related process.

“On June 12, 1993, Nigerians demonstrated unprecedented and unequalled patriotism, selflessness, love for the nation and democracy by voting massively for Chief MKO Abiola,” Mr Ezekwueme explained.

He pointed out that it “is an irrefutable truth that Nigerians voted above self, tribe, religion, ethnicity, clan cleavages and voted for the Abiola-Kingibe candidacy, in spite of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.”

Mr Ezekwueme added, “Nigerians embraced the lessons and spirit of June 12 during the 2023 presidential election, in which they voted with their conscience and conviction above their political affiliations, tribes and religion. Let us collectively and collaboratively make Nigeria and Nigerians great again, by making inevitable selfless sacrifices, just like Late Chief MKO Abiola.”

He urged Mr Tinubu to “use the 30th anniversary of the annulled June 12 presidential election to give national honours to a former National Electoral Commission chairman, Prof Humphrey Nwosu,” stressing that “Nwosu seems to have conducted the freest, fairest and most credible elections in the history of this country.”

“Also worthy to be nationally honoured are the Amazon and doyen of June 12 struggle and wife of MKO Abiola, Mrs Kudirat Abiola, Pa Alfred Rewane and Chief Gani Fawehinmi,” the CLO leader noted. “These people are known for their patriotism, doggedness and relentless struggles toward reclaiming the annulled presidential election, which is the worst man’s inhumanity against man.”

(NAN)