In a historic gesture to commemorate Democracy Day, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday conferred national honours on dozens of prominent Nigerians, including late democracy icons Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, as part of efforts to immortalise their contributions to the country’s democratic journey.
During a special address to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja, Tinubu said the awards marked a solemn recognition of the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who fought for Nigeria’s democracy, particularly in the aftermath of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.
“As we mark a twenty-sixth year of unbroken democracy, it is right to honour those who have made sacrifices in the past, braving all the odds and the guns to ensure we have a regime of democracy in our country,” the president said.
He posthumously conferred the title of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 election.
Kudirat was assassinated in 1996 while championing the restoration of her husband’s mandate and the entrenchment of civilian rule.
Also honoured was the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters and key figure in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement, who received the posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).
Professor Humphrey Nwosu, former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC) who oversaw the 1993 election adjudged the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, was awarded Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
In a significant and symbolic move, Tinubu also conferred posthumous honours on the Ogoni Nine, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were executed by the military regime of General Sani Abacha in 1995 for their activism against environmental degradation in the Niger Delta.
Tinubu awarded Saro-Wiwa and his fellow activists national honours and granted them a presidential pardon.
“I also confer posthumous national honours on Ken Saro-Wiwa (CON), the leader of the Ogoni Nine, and his fellow travellers. I shall also be exercising my powers under the prerogative of mercy to grant these national heroes a full pardon,” he said.
Among others recognised for their roles in the struggle for democracy and human rights were human rights lawyer Femi Falana (CON), Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka (GCON), and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (CON), alongside several journalists, academics, civil society leaders, and former lawmakers.
Others on the list included Pa Reuben Fasoranti (CFR), Alao Aka-Bashorun (CON), Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti (CON), Chief Bola Ige (CFR), and media icons such as Uncle Sam Amuka Pemu (CON), who was specially honoured on the eve of his 90th birthday.
The honours spanned across posthumous and living recipients, cutting across regions, professions, and ideologies, a move widely seen as an attempt by President
“This is more than a ceremonial act; it is a reaffirmation of our collective memory and a tribute to the spirit of those who paid the ultimate price for our democracy,” Tinubu declared.
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