Nigeria: President Tinubu sparks mixed reactions with list of democracy
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
President Bola Tinubu has sparked mixed reactions with his list of democracy heroes announced on Thursday, June 13, 2025, to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day. While some Nigerians praised the President for honoring the heroes of the June 12, 1993 struggle, others criticized the omission of key figures.
Kudirat Abiola, heroine of the June 13 struggle, awarded posthumous national honour of CFR
Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, awarded posthumous national honours and granted a presidential pardon.
However, some critics argue that prominent figures like Otunba Gaddafi, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, and Joe Okei-Odumakin were left out. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, a former Governor of Ekiti State, expressed disappointment that none of the drivers of the Kudirat FM project were recognized.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) welcomed the pardon for the Ogoni Nine but called for a formal exoneration to remove the stain of injustice from their names. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide lauded the recognition of Prof Humphrey Nwosu, who conducted the June 12, 1993 election, and requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission Headquarters be named after him.
