Senior Advocate Calls on Tinubu to Rename INEC Headquarters in Honour of MKO Abiola

Prominent legal expert and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Wahab Shittu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to rename the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja after the late Chief MKO Abiola.

Speaking at the 2025 June 12 National Dialogue organised by the Eminent Patriots of Nigeria in Lagos, Shittu suggested that renaming the building “MKO Abiola House” would be a powerful symbol, constantly reminding Nigeria’s leaders of the importance of credible elections in a functioning democracy.

Shittu further called on the Federal Government to release all entitlements due to Abiola’s family, saying the move would help address the lingering injustice of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by Abiola but cancelled by the military regime of former President Ibrahim Babangida.

“Chief Abiola and his family were wronged by the annulment of that historic election,” Shittu said. “The government should release his entitlements and name the INEC headquarters in his honour.”

He also stressed the urgent need for Nigeria to adopt a people-oriented constitution, arguing that the country is still operating under a system shaped by military interests.

“We run a democracy based on cash influence, godfather endorsements, and political violence,” Shittu said. “To truly move forward, Nigerians must embrace a democratic culture and push for a homegrown, inclusive constitution.”

The dialogue, themed “Democracy without a Democratic Constitution: Which Way for Nigeria?”, featured speakers both in-person and online, including former Finance Minister Dr. Idika Kalu, political economist Prof. Pat Utomi, and several members of The Patriots, such as Gboyega Adejumo, Mike Omeri, and Maxwell Gidado.

In his remarks, Kalu urged Nigerians to stay united and focused despite ongoing national challenges. “While we are far from our ideal, we must celebrate the fact that Nigeria remains together,” he noted.

Prof. Utomi expressed disappointment at the country’s slow progress since the return to civilian rule, saying, “This is not the democracy that people died for. But Nigeria will rise again. We must keep fighting.”

Not all speakers were optimistic. Adejumo dismissed the commemoration as symbolic, claiming, “There’s nothing to celebrate about June 12; we are simply marking an anniversary amid corruption.”

On his part, Omeri emphasized the need for Nigeria to operate as a truly federal state where all regions contribute equitably to national development.