Buhari’s decision smacks of hypocrisy and political desperation

Nigeria's opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) says that President Muhammadu Buhari's decision to change the date of the Democracy Day public holiday to 12 June “smacks of hypocrisy and political desperation" ahead of elections in 2019.

Mr Buhari said he had shifted the date from 29 May in honour of politician Moshood Abiola, whose victory in presidential elections on 12 June 1993 was annulled by the military.

In a statement, the PDP said Mr Buhari had "served in the military administration of General Sani Abacha during the travails of Chief Abiola" and had failed, at the time, to "associate" with him.

The president's decision to now honour the late Chief Abiola was a sign of "political desperation" on the part of a "failed" president who was trying to influence voters ahead of elections next year, the PDP added.

Earlier today, in a statement, President Muhammadu Buhari said the new date had been chosen to commemorate the elections on 12 June 1993 when the military annulled the results.

He said that date was more symbolic for Nigerian democracy:

“Twelfth June 1993 was the day when Nigerians in millions expressed their democratic will in what was undisputed the freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our independence.

The fact that the outcome of that election was not upheld by the then military government does not distract from the democratic credentials of that process."

Mr Buhari said that for the past 18 years Nigerians had been celebrating 29 May as Democracy Day, which was the date when for the second time in the country's history, an elected civilian administration had taken over from a military government.

“But in the view of Nigerians, as shared by this administration, 12 June 1993 was far more symbolic of democracy in the Nigerian context than 29 May." He said