I didn’t lose June 12 presidential poll – Tofa

An elder statesman and the presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the June 12 presidential elections, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, has vowed to drag federal government to court over the recent posthumous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic to late MKO Abiola.
This he said has became necessary because the June 12 presidential election was inconclusive, noting that neither himself nor Late MKO Abiola was a winner in that election which was annulled by the military cabal under former Military president Ibrahim Babangida.
“I was shocked Tofa when President Muhammadu Buhari decided to revisit the June 12 presidential election which was annulled by the military and the presumed winner Late MKO Abiola was arrested, detained and later died in the process, but let me quickly add that the word presumed winner was the creation of the southern press because they were sympathetic to MKO Abiola who himself was a publisher they never referred to me as presume winner.
“How can President Muhammadu Buhari without mandating former the INEC Chairman, Professor Humprey Nwosu, to announce the final result of that election come to the conclusion that Late MKO Abiola was the winner, even when late General Abacha arrested Abiola and detained him it was because Abiola declared himself as President-elect.
I would have done the same thing but I did not want Nigeria to go into war.
“Now that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is desperately seeking for second term, has decided to award GCFR to late MKO Abiola and GCOM to Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, he should mandate the National Assembly to compel former INEC Chairman to announce the full result so that the whole world will know who won that election.
But since it was inconclusive, I will go to court for it to declare that I, Tofa, and my running mate should also be conferred with GCFR and GCON.
“In fact, I am seriously annoyed when names of other prominent Nigerians were mentioned as those to be honoured on June 12 but my name and my deputy were not there.
Had it been I did not contest against Abiola in that election there would have been no June 12.
“Yes, late Abiola was a great man but since our election was cancelled without any excuse the military Junta that cancelled the election should be mandated to explain the reason for the cancellation so that we can forgive them”, he said.

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