Buhari invites Soyinka, Falana, SDP chieftains to Abiola’s GCFR investiture

June 8, 2018 9:31 pm

The presidency has released the list of dignitaries expected at the post-humous investiture of MKO Abiola as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Abiola was the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election but the military government of Ibrahim Babangida annulled the results of the election annulled before they were announced officially.

Earlier in the week President Muhammadu Buhari announced that Abiola, Baba Gana Kingibe, his running mate, and Gani Fawehinmi, late human rights lawyer, would be conferred with national honours.

In a statement issued by Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, family members of Abiola, Kingibe, Fawehinmi were invited to the investiture scheduled for Tuesday.

Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate; Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, and major stakeholders in the struggle for the revalidation of the annulled result were also invited.

Also invited were officials elected on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) — the platform Abiola contested the election on — at the state and national levels as well as members of the party’s national executive council at the time the election was annulled.

Former Senate Presidents – Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute; and Agunwa Anekwe, former speaker of the house of representatives, along with principal officers of the national assembly and speakers of state houses of assembly elected under SDP platform, are also expected at the event.

Others are Senate President Bukola Saraki; Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives; other principal officers of the national assembly; all chairmen of the states traditional councils from the six south-western states

The statement listed others invited to include Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Bisi Akande, former national chairman of the APC.

Other dignitaries are Ayo Obe, Bayo Onanuga, managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria; Kunle Ajibade of The News; Nosa Igiebor of Tell, Kayode Komolafe (Media Hope 93), Janathan Zwingina (DG Hope 93), Frank Ovie Kokori and Humphrey Nwosu, chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) which conducted the election.