Barely six hours after President Muhammadu Buhari in his Democracy Day speech, named Abuja National Stadium after the principle actor in the June 12 struggle, majority of Nigerians who reacted to Business Hilights Opinion Poll, have voted for Eagle Square.
President Buhari, had midway into his address at the maiden Nigerian Democracy Day celebration, announced that the immortalization of Chief MKO Abiola by naming him after the Abuja National Stadium in recognition of his fight for the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria during the 1993 Presidential election which was annulled by the Military government.
Business Hilights Pools Results:
Nigerians preferring Eagle Square……79%
Nigerians preferring Aso Rock……….20%
Nigerians preferring Abuja Stadium…..1%
(Statistics based on 287,965 respondents in six hours on June 12, 2019)
One key and thought provoking comments made by the late political heavyweight of note was his response on his feelings after the annulment of the 1993 elections. Chief Abiola averred that “I did not vote for myself. Nigerians voted for me. I have already won the presidential election. You cannot re-sit for an exam you have already passed.”
Chief Abiola in a move to inaugurate his government in Lagos against the stand of the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, ordered for his arrest.
However, it was his address at Epetedo complex for installing himself as President and Commander in Chief that pushed former late Military junta, Gen Sani Abacha jailed him.
He however, died in the build up to the return to democracy in 1998 in a circumstance that is still yet to comprehend till date.
It would be recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier named University of Lagos after the political icon, but massive rejection greeted the gesture from the wild-wild-west and political leaders in Western Nigeria who stood against it, thus making the institution to still retain its foundation name till today.
Some analysts, who weighed latest honour to Chief MKO Abiola, argued that it is even better to go back to University of Lagos than naming the icon after a rejected and poorly maintained national Stadium in Abuja.
It would be recalled that Chief Abiola had been earlier named after the Ogun State Stadium at Abeokuta, the state capital.
There are some national monuments that were named after political figures in parts of the country including the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.
