Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to officially recognize the late Chief M. K. O Abiola as one of Nigeria’s past presidents.
Kalu called for Abiola’s portrait to be placed alongside those of other former leaders in the Presidential Villa, emphasizing that his victory in the June 12, 1993, election should be fully acknowledged.
Speaking to Senate correspondents before plenary on Tuesday, February 25, Kalu referenced former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s recently released memoir, where he admitted that Abiola won the election. "Yes, Abiola won the election. And I will say President Tinubu should declare him a president posthumously," Kalu stated.
He commended former President Muhammadu Buhari for conferring a national honour on Abiola but insisted that further recognition was necessary.
"Since Abiola won, his picture should be placed among Nigeria’s past presidents. I commend former President Buhari for giving him a national honour, but I also appeal to President Tinubu to officially recognize him and place his image where it belongs. This would help bring succour to his family," Kalu said.
Addressing Babangida’s memoirs, Kalu described them as incomplete and urged the former military leader to publish a second volume to clarify unanswered questions about the annulment of the June 12 election. "I look forward to the second edition of Babangida’s book because the first did not reveal all the realities. I was present during the events of June 12, and I know what happened. Babangida should call out the names of those responsible for preventing the election declaration."
He also refuted claims that the 1966 coup was an ethnic conspiracy, maintaining that it was a "Nigerian coup, executed by the military," not an Igbo coup.