Hafsat Abiola, the daughter of late Chief MKO Abiola, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for posthumously conferring the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) national honour on her late mother, Mrs Kudirat Abiola, a prominent pro-democracy activist assassinated in 1996 for her role in the struggle to actualize June 12, 1993 presidential election won by her husband.
The conferment was part of the 2025 Democracy Day National Honours List announced on Thursday, June 12 by President Tinubu during his special address before a joint sitting of the National Assembly.
Tinubu honoured numerous individuals who played significant roles in the fight for democratic rule, especially those connected to the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
Reacting to the development, Hafsat Abiola expressed deep appreciation for the recognition, describing the award as a symbol of national remembrance and renewed commitment to service.
“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 said.
“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.”
Kudirat Abiola was the wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola. Following her husband’s detention by the military regime for declaring himself president, Kudirat became a central figure in the pro-democracy movement, mobilising national and international support for his release and for democratic reforms in Nigeria.
She was assassinated in Lagos on June 4, 1996.
Hafsat added that her mother would have been “overwhelmed with joy to be so honoured” and extended gratitude on behalf of both the Adeyemi and Abiola families.
“May the conferment of this award serve to strengthen our collective resolve to respond unstintingly to the call of national service,” she concluded.
This year’s National Honours list included several figures associated with the June 12 movement, civil rights activists, and public servants, as part of what the President described as a “renewed national commitment to remembering the sacrifices that birthed our democracy.”
