Tinubu Honours Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Yar’Adua, Wole Soyinka, Humphrey Nwosu, and Other National Icons
Tinubu Honours Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Yar’Adua, Wole Soyinka, Humphrey Nwosu, and Other National Icons
President Tinubu Confers National Honours on June 12 Heroes, Reaffirms Nigeria’s Commitment to Freedom, Justice, and Democracy
In a symbolic gesture that echoed Nigeria’s democratic journey, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday conferred national honours on a distinguished group of democracy activists, politicians, journalists, and citizens who played vital roles in the fight to restore civilian rule following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
During his address to a joint session of the National Assembly to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Tinubu announced posthumous and living honours for over 60 individuals, including Chief Kudirat Abiola, wife of the late presumed winner of the 1993 election, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola; Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua; and Professor Humphrey Nwosu, the chairman of the National Electoral Commission who oversaw the election widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.
The president said the gesture was not merely symbolic but a reaffirmation of the nation’s commitment to the ideals of democracy—freedom, transparency, and social justice.
“We must celebrate the courage of those who braved bullets and batons to defend our democratic future,” Tinubu told lawmakers.
“They laid the foundation for what we now strive to perfect.”
The honoured individuals cut across Nigeria’s ethnic, regional and professional lines—reinforcing Tinubu’s message that the struggle for democracy was a national cause, not the agenda of a select few. Among those recognised were civil rights lawyer Gani Fawehinmi, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Prof. Wole Soyinka, publisher Uncle Sam Amuka-Pemu, journalist Kunle Ajibade, and activist Shehu Sani.
The Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro-Wiwa and Barinem Kiobel, were not only honoured posthumously but granted presidential pardons, signalling what many have called a long overdue step toward national healing and environmental justice for the Niger Delta.
The national honours are a continuation of efforts to restore the dignity and legacy of those whose sacrifices led to the end of military rule in 1999. Tinubu praised former President Muhammadu Buhari for institutionalising June 12 as Democracy Day and formally recognising MKO Abiola and his running mate Babagana Kingibe as the rightful winners of the annulled election.
In his address, Tinubu appealed for a renewed commitment to democratic values. He stressed that no one should suffer persecution for expressing dissent or writing critical commentary.
“Call me names, label me as you wish—yet I will always invoke democracy to defend your right to speak freely,” he said.
He further assured Nigerians that the country would not descend into a one-party system, emphasizing that political plurality and respectful dialogue are essential to the nation’s progress. His remarks come amid growing concerns over political defections and the diminishing strength of the opposition.
