South West States Declare June 12 Public Holiday

The governments of the South-west states have declared June 12 as a public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the annulled 1993 Presidential election adjudged to have been won by the late M.K.O Abiola

The states include Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Oyo states.

The federal government on Wednesday announced that June 12would become a national holiday for the celebration of democracy day starting from 2019, although the day had always been public holidays in the South west.

In Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor, said the recent decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare June 12 as the new democracy day would ensure that Mr Abiola and other martyrs of democracy who laid down their lives in the struggle to entrench good governance did not do so in vain.

In Ogun, the state government announced that June 12 would be a work-free day to enable the residents to mark the Democracy Day and celebrate the recent conferment of a posthumous national honour on Mr Abiola.

In Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor, said day would be celebrated with a town hall assembly at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome) in Akure.

In Osun, the government said the public holiday is to mark democracy day in the state.

“The state government of Osun commends the President on this righteous step of honouring June 12 and key players of the 1993 presidential election, 25 years after.

“The Government of the State of Osun has, therefore, declared Tuesday, June 12 a public holiday.”

In Ekiti, Ayo Fayose, the governor announced via his official Twitter handle that the state would continue in its tradition of honouring Mr Abiola with a public holiday.

‏In Oyo State, Bolaji Tunji, the media assistant to Abiola Ajimobi, the state governor, said the state would also declare June 12 a public holiday.

“We’ve already decided on that, the only thing left is to make the announcement,” Mr Tunji told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday night

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