Tinubu: How Fayemi actualised Radio Kudirat to battle Abacha regime

President Bola Tinubu has reeled off Kayode Fayemi’s contributions to the birth of Nigeria’s fourth republic — as the former Ekiti governor celebrates his 60th birthday today.

In a tribute released on Sunday, Tinubu wrote about Fayemi’s role in the establishment of Radio Kudirat, as the Sani Abacha junta “constricted the civic space”.

Kudirat Abiola, wife of MKO Abiola, winner of the 1993 presidential election, was assassinated on June 4, 1996.

“The struggle for Chief MKO Abiola’s release from incarceration and the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, then considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria, led to the constriction of the civic space by the military,” Tinubu said.

“The military government routinely raided and proscribed newspapers such as the Concord, Punch, Guardian, and magazines such as Tempo/TheNews and TELL.

“General Abacha was running amok, arresting activists, jailing journalists, and instilling fears in anyone opposed to his oppressive regime.

“There was a need to have a radio station covering the activities of the pro-democracy movement at home and abroad and putting more significant pressure on the Abacha junta. Dr Fayemi and other activists actualised the birth of the pro-democracy radio, Radio Kudirat, named in honour of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, who agents of the Abacha regime murdered.

“During the challenging General Sani Abacha era, civil rights and pro-democracy activists, especially those in exile, had to rely on their ingenuity to survive. Kayode’s brilliance, commitment, and strategic skills were invaluable to our cause.”

The president said following Abacha’s death, “many of us in the pro-democracy movement decided to return home to participate”.

“Dr. Fayemi returned to Nigeria in 1999 to establish the Centre for Democracy and Development, an organisation dedicated to promoting democracy, peace-building and security in Nigeria and Africa. He also operated the centre in Accra, Ghana,” he said.

Tinubu also commended Fayemi for his role in the 2013 merger of opposition parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He described Fayemi as a “committed patriot” who played a crucial role in the campaign and governance of the APC-led administration.

“Our party’s victory in the 2015 Presidential election, defeating an incumbent president and a ruling party that had vowed to rule Nigeria for 60 unbroken years, was a fitting reward for the hard work, teamwork, and capacity demonstrated by Fayemi, other campaign council members, and party leadership,” he added.

“With our long years together in the trenches and years of party and national politics collaboration, Fayemi has been an able lieutenant, an invaluable ally, and a committed patriot.

“In exercising his democratic right, Dr Fayemi joined the presidential race as an aspirant on the platform of APC ahead of the 2023 elections. I was also an aspirant in the party.

“I announced my ambition well ahead of other aspirants in our party. After crisscrossing the country seeking the support of party delegates, Dr Fayemi, on the party convention night, was gracious when he openly announced that he was stepping down for me. His decision demonstrated remarkable humility and comradeship.

“Dr. Fayemi has exemplified service as an academic, author, administrator, and development expert.”