Federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, has been urged to de-annul the election, declare him the winner and pay his accrued entitlements as president to the family, twenty-three years after the annulment of the June twelve, presidential election.

Head of the family, Muritala Abiola, made the plea at the commemoration of the June twelve presidential election, organised by Ogun state government, and the day started with a democracy walk from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta and it terminated at Oke Ido ancestral home of the Abiolas, where speeches were made.

Muritala who’s a younger brother of the late acclaimed winner of the June 12, election, said if the head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, who held the position for only three months, still enjoys the perks of a former president.

He said their late bread winner deserved even much more, for dying for the enthronement of democracy in the country.

The head of the family thanked the state government for keeping the memory of the late MKO Abiola alive by staging ‘democracy walk’ for the past five years, but berated the government for not declaring Monday June 13, as a work-free day, since this year’s June 12, fell on a Sunday.

He argued that if public holidays like Independence day which fell on Sunday could be declared the following day, Monday as a public holiday, this year’s June 12, should not have been different.

He noted that it was rather painful for Ogun State House of Assembly to have enacted a law declaring June 12 as a public holiday, and the executive arm would refuse to honour it.

He, however, appealed to the state government to return the school established by the late Abiola, Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele, Abeokuta, to the family to administer.

On his own part, the governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, said everyone knew that late MKO Abiola was the adjudged winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election but he was denied the chance to become the president.

Amosun who spoke through his Deputy, Yetunde Onanuga, described him as the hero of the nation’s current democracy, saying government organised the democracy day walk and identifying with the Abiola family for the past five years that this administration have been in government.

One of the children of the deceased, Lekan Abiola, who was also present at the event, bemoaned the death of their father, adding that what the family lost could not be regained.

Others present at the event were the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, Head of Service, Sola Adeyemi, and Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa among others.