Just In: Influential NADECO Member Dies, Tinubu Grieves
- President Tinubu released a condolence statement after the death of Chief Ralph Obioha, a prominent figure in Nigeria's pro-democracy movement
- Obioha was a member of NADECO, the coalition that fought for the recognition of the June 12, 1993 presidential election mandate
- The former lawmaker and businessman died on Sunday at the age of 80
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed his condolences to the family of Chief Ralph Obioha, a former lawmaker, businessman and key figure in Nigeria's democracy movement, who died on Sunday aged 80.
The president's message was contained in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu described Obioha as a "courageous Nigerian who made sacrifices for democracy and remained committed to the ideals of a better Nigeria."
Who was Chief Ralph Obioha
Obioha was a member of the National Democratic Coalition, widely known as NADECO, the umbrella body that championed the recognition of the June 12, 1993 presidential election result. That election, broadly considered the freest in Nigeria's history, was won by the late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, who ran on the platform of the now-defunct Social Democratic Party.
The annulment of that result by the military government triggered a prolonged political crisis and sparked one of Nigeria's most determined pro-democracy campaigns, in which Obioha played an active role.
Tinubu pays tribute to NADECO stalwart
Tinubu's tribute acknowledged Obioha's contribution to the democratic struggles that shaped modern Nigeria. The president's connection to the June 12 cause runs deep: as Lagos governor and later as a political figure, Tinubu was himself associated with the pro-democracy resistance of the 1990s.
In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari formally recognised June 12 as Democracy Day, a move seen as a belated vindication for figures like Obioha who paid dearly for their activism.
Source: Legit.ng
