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Abuja National Stadium is Now Moshood Abiola Stadium, Says Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has renamed the National Stadium in Abuja after the supposed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola.
Abiola is credited to have won the 1993’s poll based on available results, but the election was cancelled by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Abiola later died in prison, months after he declared himself president under General Sani Abacha’s regime.
Buhari in 2018 recognised Mr Abiola’s mandate by conferring on him the country’s highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, reserved only for presidents.
He also declared June 12, the day the election held, as Nigeria’s democracy day. Since 1999, democracy day was celebrated on May 29. Wednesday was the first time the celebration happened on June 12.
In his speech at the event, which also marks Nigeria’s 20th year of uninterrupted democracy, Buhari said the national stadium will henceforth be known as Moshood Abiola Stadium.
“I declared June 12 in memory of late Abiola and gave honour to him … and I have also named the Abuja Stadium after Late Moshood Abiola,” the president announced.
The event at the Eagles Square was attended by other foreign leaders, including the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
Recall that in 2012, former President Goodluck Jonathan honoured Abiola by renaming the University of Lagos after him. But the gesture was rebuffed by majority of Nigerians, especially those from the South West region where Abiola came from.
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
