By Uche Onyeali
Hafsat Abiola, daughter of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief Moshood Olawale Abiola (MKO), has expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for conferring a national on her mother, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
Kudirat Abiola was assassinated on June 4, 199, while on the struggle to restore her husband’s mandate during the regime of late dictator, General Sani Abacha while her husband, MKO Abiola eventually died in interaction on July 7, 1998, after the mysterious death of Abacha.
Meanwhile, Alhaja Kudirat was conferred with a posthumous national honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, by President Tinubu in his speech at the National Assembly to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day 2025.
Reacting to the honour, her daughter and founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, KIND, Hafsat Abiola-Costello in a statement titled ‘Kudirat Olayinka Abiola, CFR: Thank you, Mr. President – Hafsat Abiola,’ commended President Tinubu for eventuality acknowledging her mother’s contributions in upholding Nigeria’s democracy through her fight to restore the June 12 mandate.
According to Hafsat, “There are no words to adequately express the depth of gratitude I feel at President Tinubu’s posthumous conferment of the merit of CFR on my mum, Kudirat Abiola.
“She was guided both by love and a sense of duty to defend her husband’s mandate, and to work with many across the country for the restoration of democracy. Yet, I have no doubt that she would have been overwhelmed with joy to be so honoured.
“On behalf of the Adeyemi and Abiola families, I thank Mr. President for deeming her worthy of this recognition and for the gift of witnessing the conferment of national honours on so many of the heroes of the June 12 Struggle. May the conferment of this award serve to strengthen our collective resolve to respond unstintingly to the call of national service.
