Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Wednesday decried the "flagrant abuse of law and order" by political leaders. He said its consequences could be grave for the country.
The governor said the process leading to the annulment of the June 12 1993 Presidential election and the inability of MKO Abiola, believed to have won the election, to reclaim his mandate were consequences of flagrant abuse of law and order
The governor spoke in Agidingbi, Ikeja, at an event organised by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the annulment of the election.
He said, "The nation's democracy is beset with challenges, both man-made and institutional, which had given room for culture of impunity to thrive."
The governor emphasised the need for law and order to be entrenched if democracy must thrive, adding that disregard for law and order was a threat to the survival of democracy.
He said the lessons from the June 12 1993 elections should show the way for the nation to avoid the path that would plunge it into crises.
Fashola said, "Lately an institution of higher learning, created by an Act of Parliament, which gave the institution its name, was visited with an action that in my view was done to mock the memories of Abiola. The name of the institution was changed to Abiola's name without changing the law.
"I venture to argue that Abiola would have distanced himself from such action if he were alive. If you are looking for proof, you will see it in the number of court cases he had instituted whenever threat was posed to his life and those that he defended."
A former governor of the state, Bola Tinubu, also urged the nation to operate a strong electoral system that would guarantee smooth transition in a democratic government.
Tinubu, who was represented by a leader of National Democratic Coalition, Ayo Opadokun, said the hope of Nigerians to get its electoral process right was thwarted 20 years ago when the June 12 election was annulled.
The Punch