President Bola Tinubu has lauded Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, and other notable pro-democracy activists for their sacrifices to entrench democracy in the country.
Tinubu, who spoke on Wednesday on the occasion of Nigeria’s Democracy Day, said their “selfless devotion and sacrifices cannot be forgotten”.
“While the exiled pro-democracy activists kept the fire burning, their comrades at home sustained the pressure on the military brass hats,” Tinubu said.
“Among the latter are Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana, Abdul Oroh, Senator Shehu Sani, Governor Uba Sani, Chief Olu Falae, and other National Democratic Coalition leaders such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Ayo Opadokun.
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“The sacrifices they made and the precious gift brought about by their selfless devotion can never be repaid. Neither shall it be forgotten.”
The president also paid tribute to the fallen heroes of democracy like MKO Abiola and his wife, who, in their struggle, lost their lives.
“We lost great heroes and heroines along the way. In this struggle, the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, the most significant symbol of our democratic struggle, his wife, Kudirat, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Pa Alfred Rewane, among others, sacrificed their very lives,” he said.
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“They bravely surrendered their futures so that our nation might have a better one.”
He also commended the efforts of journalists who also fought for our democracy.
“We could not have won the battle against military dictatorship without the irrepressible Nigerian journalists who mounted the barricades along with the pro-democracy activists,” Tinubu added.
“We celebrate them today, along with their media establishments such as The Punch, Guardian, National Concord, Tribune, The News/Tempo, and TELL Magazines. Military authorities proscribed these media establishments and jailed their journalists for standing for free speech and civil liberties.”
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