Professor Pat Utomi

A former Presidential Aspirant and Marketing Communication Expert, Prof. Pat Utomi, on Tuesday in Abuja, said Nigeria needed more healing actions from the Federal Government on the June 12 crisis.

He told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the sidelines of the Special National Honours Investiture for late acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993, Presidential Election, Chief MKO Abiola, that the country was in great need of healing.

Abiola was honoured along with his running mate in the election, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe and late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

“Our country is in great need of healing and I think this is the beginning of a very important healing process.

“It has got to be a lot of giving and taking till we come to a point where all that is left is the common good of Nigerians,’’ Utomi stated.

He said that the event had brought out from Nigerians a sense of togetherness, adding that such sense would invariably make room for healing.

“Next steps matter in this kind of situation; next steps will then continue the healing process and we hope the right things keep happening for it to be complete,’’ he said.

On his part, Dr John Onwubuya, National Chairman, Freedom and Justice Party, described the event as “politics-related’’ but said that it was good to remember the injustice done to the winner of an election.

“It is the right thinking in the right direction as well as a political campaign mechanism to awaken the interest of the electorate.

“It is also an image-building for Buhari as a candidate in the next election. It is political wisdom.’’

According to Onwubuya, President Muhammadu Buhari thought it wise to provoke the interest of Nigerians.

“As a country, it means that whatever efforts we put in the past can be remembered sometime, someday.

“Those who have laboured to enthrone our democratic process today have been remembered; they have put in their lives and history is being made today.

“MKO Abiola is the actual winner of that election in 1993. It is no longer in doubt, he is no longer the acknowledged winner but now the winner, having been given the GCFR honour,’’ he said.

The party leader wished Nigerians well, saying “we are advancing our democratic process.

“It is a positive one and came at the right time when we have about seven months to general elections.

“There is no better time than now for the Federal Government to do this. It is another way of scoring a political point by the government.’’