President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Colonel Abubakar Umar (Rtd) in recognition of his unwavering stand for democracy during Nigeria’s political crisis of 1993.
The announcement was made on Thursday during the commissioning of a 300-bed specialist hospital and vocational training centre in Kaduna.
Colonel Umar, a former Military Governor of Kaduna State, earned national respect for boldly criticising the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll, won by the late Moshood Abiola. His dissent against the decision of then-military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida made him a rare “soldier of democracy,” President Tinubu said.
Speaking at the event, Tinubu apologised for omitting Umar’s name from the list of June 12 honourees announced last week, stating the oversight was unintentional and has now been corrected.
“This honour is long overdue. Colonel Umar stood firmly for democracy when it was dangerous to do so. He deserves the recognition of the nation he fought to protect,” Tinubu said.
The President also lauded the new medical and training facilities in Kaduna as symbols of progress in healthcare and youth development, describing them as examples of what can be achieved through collective effort.
