Lagos, Ondo, Ogun State, Declare June 12 Public Holiday

The governments of the South-west states have declared June 12 as a public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the annulled 1993 Presidential election adjudged to have been won by the late M.K.O Abiola.
The states include Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, and Oyo states.

The federal government on Wednesday announced that June 12 would become a national holiday for the celebration of democracy day starting from 2019, although the day had always been public holidays in the South west.

In Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, the governor, said the recent decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to declare June 12 as the new democracy day would ensure that Mr Abiola and other martyrs of democracy who laid down their lives in the struggle to entrench good governance did not do so in vain.


“For us in Lagos, June 12 is not just a day to remember, it is a rallying point for those of us in service that we must continuously strive to entrench true democracy and good governance which is what Chief MKO Abiola totally exemplified.”

In Ogun, the state government announced that June 12 would be a work-free day to enable the residents mark the Democracy Day and celebrate the recent conferment of a posthumous national honour on Mr Abiola.

In Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, the governor, said day would be celebrated with a town hall assembly at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome) in Akure.

“All civil servants, market women, artisans, politicians, clergymen, students and Ondo State residents from all walks of life are invited to be part of the historic gathering in honour of M.K.O Abiola, winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential Election,” the governor said in a statement signed by Yemi Olowolabi.

“It promises to be a riveting event with extensive focus on June 12: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.”

The town hall assembly, the statement said, would be anchored by Kayode Fayemi, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former Governor of Ekiti State.

In Osun, the government said the public holiday is to mark democracy day in the state.