Sports minister inspects installation of MKO Abiola plague in Abuja Stadium

By Amaechi Agbo
As Nigeria prepares to mark her 21st anniversary of uninterrupted Democracy Day on Friday next week, the minister of Youth and Sports development, Sunday Dare Tuesday inspected the installation of the plaque of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, at the national stadium renamed after the Pillar of Sports in Africa
President Mohammadu Buhari during his Democracy Day speech on May 29, 2019 changed Nigeria’s Democracy Day to June 12 to coincide with the date the 1993 Presdiential election adjudged to be the most fairest and transparent election which Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, (MAKO Abiola) who was acclaimed the winner was annulled.
The election was annulled by former dictator president of the country Ibrahim Babangida.
In his honour, June 12th that was formerly “Abiola Day” was made the new Democracy Day in Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari and nationa Stadium Abuja renamed after him.
A year later, the Sports minister, Sunday Dare inspected the Installation of the MKO Abiola plaque at the stadium’s two main gates.
The minister confirmed this in his twitter handle.
“Inspection: Ahead of the one year anniversary of the christening of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day and the renaming of the National Stadium by President Mohammadu Buhari as Moshood Abiola Stadium, I inspected the installation of the new plaque today (Tuesday) in Abuja,” Dare said.
MKO Abiola won the 1993 Presidential election with 8,341,309 votes for his party Social Domocratic Party, SDP to beat his challenger, Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention, NRC who scored 5,952,087 votes.
In his speech last year, which also marked Nigeria’s 20th year of uninterrupted democracy, Mr Buhari said the national stadium will henceforth be known as Moshood Abiola Stadium.
“I declared June 12 in memory of late Abiola and gave honour to him … and I have also named the Abuja Stadium after Late Moshood Abiola,” the president had announced.