Ogun govt vows to make FG immortalise late politician

On behalf of the Ibikunle Amosun-led government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, Secretary to the government, said, "Abiola deserves the honour and recognition because he paid the supreme price for the emergence of democratic rule in the country."

He further stressed the great contributions of the politician to the democratic process of the country, saying that he deserves more recognition than he has got.

"Since we came on board, every June 12, we do have a formal interaction with the family of Chief M.K.O Abiola. This is an exercise by the state government to sustain people’s awareness and keep the memory of the late sage alive." Adeoluwa said.

Abiola is widely regarded as the winner of the country's inconclusive presidential election in 1993 and he was controversially denied of occupying the position when the election was annulled by military president Ibrahim Babangida, even though national and international observers declared it as Nigeria's freest and fairest presidential election.

He was detained for four years by military President General Sani Abacha for publicly claiming his mandate as president of Nigeria. He died in custody on 7 July 1998 under suspicious circumstances.

In honour of his memory, June 12 is celebrated across the country, and is a public holiday in Lagos and Ogun states.

He also has monuments like the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta and the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, named after him.