As praises pour for President Muhammadu Buhari for his commendable achievements, Mr. Jamiu Abiola, son of late Chief MKO Abiola, slammed ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for “benefiting on his father’s blood” without giving anything in return.

He praised President Buhari for boosting democracy and recogniting of late MKO Abiola’s contributions to the growth of democracy.

In spite of riding into power in 1999 after the successful struggle for restoration of democracy, Obasanjo, he said, refused to recognise Chief Abiola’s contribution to Nigeria’ democracy.

MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election that was annulled, died fighting for his mandate while Obasanjo was elected President in 1999 upon the country’s return to democracy.

He spoke on Sunday in Abuja at an event tagged “Testimonies of Change”, designed to showcase the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the event, organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture, witnessed personal testimonies by beneficiaries of government programmes.

Abiola, who was among the testifiers, said for over two decades, Nigerians gave mandate to his father which he was “denied and killed”, the family suffered emotional and psychological torture.

He said his mother, Kudirat Abiola, who also fought for his father’s mandate, was also killed in the process leaving seven children behind.

Jamiu said that Obasanjo benefitted from the democracy struggle by his late father and mother when he was elected as Executive President in 1999.

He said in spite of coming from the same region and state as his late father and mother, Obasanjo declined to recognise their contribution to the enthronement of democracy.

He, therefore, commended President Muhammad Buhari, who after over two decades, recognised his father and declared June 12, national Democracy Day.

“What President Buhari has done, despite not being a Yoruba man, has ended the emotional and psychological trauma my family has gone through all these years,” he said .

Jamiu also testified to Buhari’s giant strides in reaching out to the poor people and improving on infrastructure like power, roads, and rails.

He said June 12 which his parents paid the supreme sacrifice for, was about the poor and the masses and Buhari had become a replica of the mantra.

He said Buhari deserved a second term; therefore Nigerians should come out to vote for him in the forthcoming election.

Mr. Mathew Udeh, the President of retiree police who served during the defunct Biafra, praised Buhari for bringing succour to the then police officers who have been paid gratuity and placed on pension after more than 30 years of failed promises by previous administrations.

“Buhari came to our rescue. We are now being paid,’’ he told a cheering crowd at the Banquet Hall at the Presidential Villa on Sunday. (NAN)

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