•MASSOB, Deaf association commend, knock president

Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki, with agency report

Against the backdrop of President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Afe Babalola has canvassed national honours for late Justice M. A. Akanbi, former President of the Court of Appeal and Justice Abubakar Bashir Wali, also of the Court of Appeal.

Chief Babalola recounted the role they played in ensuring that the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola was able to explore legal means to retrieve his mandate.

“When I read the cheery news that president Buhari had revisited the June 12 election, declared Chief Abiola winner of the election, announced June 12 as Democracy Day and honoured him with GCFR, my immediate reaction was that I wished Hon. Justice M. A. Akanbi, former President, Court of Appeal and Hon. Justice Abubakar Bashir Wali of Court of Appeal, Kaduna were alive, today, to witness the dramatic event, affirm, confirm and celebrate my prophetic statement when the Court of Appeal was arrogantly disarmed by the military government from entertaining, on merit, the appeal I filed challenging the annulment…

“This country needs courageous and purposeful men like Hon. Justice M. A Akanbi. I suggest that he should also be honoured by president Buhari for the exemplary noble role he played before the court was disarmed through issuance of a Gazette ousting the decision of the court to entertain the appeal brought by Moshood Abiola…”
Meanwhile, members of the Deaf Supporters Development Initiative (DSDI) commended Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day.  One of Abiola’s personal assistants, Mr. Afolabi Dahunsi, on behalf of the group, commended the president for taking the step, 25 years after.

“Buhari has definitely secured for himself an incomparable position in the history of Nigeria by surmounting the courage to take this rare historic step at recognising June 12 as Democracy Day. To us at DSDI, this decision is heart-warming and soothing balm for the South West, particularly Deaf in South West.”

Also, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has described Abiola’s recognition as the highest display of hypocrisy.

MASSOB said the move was merely a calculated attempt to deceive the South West, in order to get votes from them in the 2019 presidential election and wondered why Buhari, did not condemn the injustice to Abiola in the past but decided to honour him when the next election is just around the corner. MASSOB also wondered why the president did not deem it important to take the action three years ago.
when he took over power in 2015

Regardless, members of the Deaf Supporters Development Initiative (DSDI) commended Buhari for declaring June 12 as Democracy Day.

One of Abiola’s personal assistants, Mr. Afolabi Dahunsi, on behalf of the group, commended the president for taking the step 25 years after.

“President Buhari has definitely secured for himself an incomparable position in the history of Nigeria by surmounting the courage to take this rare historic step at recognising June 12 as Democracy Da.

“To us at DSDI, this decision is heart-warming and soothing balm for South West people particularly Deaf in South West.

The sweetest news we have ever received from Nigeria since the demise of the acclaimed winner of June 12 1993 presidential election, was on Wednesday June 6.
“With this rare gesture, I salute Mr. President.”