Democracy Day: Here Are Throwback Photos Of MKO Abiola During June 12

• Happy Democracy Day to all Nigerians

THE NATION REPORTERS reports that Democracy Day is June 12, a national public holiday in Nigeria. Until June 6, 2018, it was held annually on May 29. Democracy Day marks the day the military handed over power to an elected civilian government in 1999, marking the beginning of the longest continuous civilian rule since Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960.

It is a tradition that has been held annually, beginning in year 2000. June 12 was formerly known as Abiola Day, celebrated in Lagos, Nigeria and some south western states of Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Democracy Day is a public holiday to commemorate the restoration of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May 29 was initially the official democracy day in Nigeria, marking when the newly elected Olusegun Obasanjo took office as the President of Nigeria in 1999, ending multiple decades of military rule that began in 1966 and had been interrupted only by a brief period of democracy from 1979 to 1983.

On June 6, 2018, eight days after May 29, 2018 had been celebrated as Democracy Day, the President Buhari-led Federal Government of Nigeria declared June 12 to be the new Democracy Day.

Buhari gave his inaugural address for his second term on June 12, 2019. These were done to commemorate the democratic election of MKO Abiola on June 12, 1993, in what has been adjudged to be Nigeria’s freest and fairest elections. It was, however, wrongly cancelled by the Ibrahim Babangida Junta.

MKO Abiola was later detained after he rightfully declared himself the president. Chief MKO Abiola died mysteriously after drinking tea during the negotiation of his release.

He started coughing in the presence of Kofi Annan and later died in the hospital. MKO promised the restoration of good governance in Nigeria.

See throwback photos of MKO below:

PA NEWS PHOTO/12/7/93 NIGERIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MOSHOOD ABIOLA VOTES. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)

Photo taken 30 August 1993 in Washington shows the main Nigerian opposition leader, Moshood Abiola, during a press conference. Abiola died of a heart attack 07 July in Abuja, the government said. Abiola was “taken ill during a meeting which was being held by Nigerian and United States officials with him,” a statement from the chief press secretary to the Nigerian president said. Nigeria’s newly-led military government had agreed to free all political prisoners, UN secretary General Kofi Annan said 02 June. Abiola was jailed in 1994 by Abubakar’s late predecessor Sani Abacha after claiming to have won 1993 presidential elections, had told the UN chief he could not now claim the presidency. (Photo by JOHN HARRINGTON / AFP) (Photo by JOHN HARRINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)