Lawyer canvasses naming INEC Headquarters after Abiola

A Senior Nigerian advocate, Dr Wahab Shittu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to name the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja after the late Chief MKO Abiola.

Shittu made the call while speaking at the annual June 12 National Dialogue organised by the Eminent Patriots of Nigeria, themed: “Democracy without a Democratic Constitution: Which Way for Nigeria?” held in Lagos on Thursday.

According to him, naming the INEC headquarters “MKO Abiola House” would serve as a symbolic gesture and a constant reminder to the nation’s leaders of the importance of credible elections to democratic governance.

The legal practitioner also urged the Federal Government to approve the release of Abiola’s entitlements to his family.

These actions, Shittu argued, would help assuage the pain still borne by the Abiola family following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election by the then Ibrahim Babangida-led administration.

“Abiola and his family were wronged by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election by the former President Ibrahim Babangida government. The Federal Government should release all entitlements and monies due to Abiola’s family to correct this injustice.

“Furthermore, the government under President Bola Tinubu should name the INEC headquarters MKO Abiola House,” Shittu said.

Speaking further, Shittu emphasised the need for a people-driven, homegrown constitution, adding that Nigerians must also cultivate a democratic culture.

“We have ‘cash-and-carry’ democracy; democracy by anointment; ‘kill-and-go’ democracy; democracy for stomach infrastructure. Without these, it’s difficult to gain political office. We need a people-driven, not military-imposed, constitution. Nigerians must embrace a democratic culture where they determine their future without inducements,” he said.