President Jonathan renames UNILAG as Moshood Abiola University

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, during his democracy day speech Tuesday morning,  announced that Nigeria’s University of first choice , University of Lagos, Akoka, is to be renamed Moshood Abiola University, in honour of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (August 24, 1937 – July 7, 1998).
“The Federal Government has decided that late Chief MKO Abiola should be honoured. In honour of Chief MKO Abiola, the University of Lagos is renamed the Moshood Abiola University.”  President Jonathan said in his speech to Nigerians.


Jonathan said that late Chief MKO Abiola, and other heroes and martyrs of democracy made huge sacrifices and ensured that military dictatorship became a thing of the past.Abiola’s self-declaration as president based on the result of the election led to his incarceration and his eventual death.
 By renaming UNILAG after Abiola, Jonathan has yielded to widespread clamour for the Federal Government to name a befitting monument after Abiola.

MKO Abiola died in the detention on July 7, 1998 a month after military despot, Gen. Sani Abacha, died in office. Abiola had been arrested on June 23, 1994 in Lagos and detained till he died for demanding the actualisation of the mandate given him by Nigerians in the June 12, 1993 presidential election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party.

The election described as the most credible in the history of the country was annulled by a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, whose regime conducted the poll.