Former Abia State Governor and current Senator for Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has called for President Bola Tinubu to officially recognize the late Chief MKO Abiola as one of Nigeria’s past presidents, suggesting that Abiola’s portrait be placed alongside those of other former leaders at the Presidential Villa. Kalu made the call after the release of General Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir, where he confirmed that Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
While praising former President Muhammadu Buhari for awarding Abiola a posthumous national honor, Kalu emphasized that more should be done, including recognizing Abiola’s rightful place in Nigerian history. He also urged Babangida to provide further details in a second memoir about the annulment of the election and those responsible for halting its declaration.
Kalu expressed strong support for Abiola as the rightful winner of the 1993 election and voiced confidence in President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. He called for patience with Tinubu’s reform process, predicting the president’s success in securing a second term.
