Save Nigeria Group Rejects President Goodluck Jonathan Renaming UNILAG After MKO Abiola

The Save Nigeria Group(SNG) while acknowledging the eternal place of Bashorun M.K.O Abiola, the winner of June 12 elections, in the political history of Nigeria and would want the highest possible honor done to him; deplores the indecent manner in which President Goodluck Jonathan has re-named the University of Lagos after him.

Renaming a University established by law through presidential fiat is an abuse of power which would make even the symbol of democracy turn several times in his grave as he died in the process of fighting against arbitrariness and rule of he thumb which the annulment of June 12 represented.

It is violation of the principles and tenets of democracy which government officials are celebrating to go on air to announce the renaming of an institution like the University of Lagos without any consultations with the university community in a manner reminiscent of the autocratic ways of the military brass hats who denied Abiola his victory in 1993 because they arrogated to themselves better knowledge than 14 million Nigerians who went to the polls.

This presidential misdemeanor displayed on the purported renaming of the University of Lagos  without due process is at the heart of  the mis-governance that has been the signature of a "democratic" president behaving like an Emperor in the last one year.

The scant regard for appropriation laws that led to the theft of N3 trillion on fuel subsidy whereas only N245 billion was appropriated, the deployment of soldiers against peaceful protesters against the law and other violations of due process in the last one year; are all signals of a dangerous mindset driving the country into a full dictatorship while pretending to a democratic order.

It is high time President Jonathan embraced a democratic mindset and stop behaving like maximum ruler.
We restate our demand that M.K.O Abiola must be given a befitting honor or the  sacrifices he made for democracy in Nigeria in a decent and worthy manner.

Yinka Odumakin.
Spokesman.
Save Nigeria Group.