The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) yesterday traded accusations over the protests by the students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) against the change of the institution’s name to Moshood Abiola University.

PDP, in a statement by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade, said it was shocked that those who benefited from MKO Abiola are raising objection to the honour done him.

It accused ACN of instigating the protests.

But the ACN said the protests were spontaneous because the President did not follow due process.

The PDP said: “The PDP-led Federal Government has done well by honouring MKO Abiola.

“We recall that Prof Soyinka had in the time past clamoured for the immortalisation of MKO and blamed the PDP for not according him the deserved honour. We therefore need to ask, what is now the issue, having now recognised the renowned defender of the masses?”

The party appealed to students and other stakeholders “not to be used to tarnish the memory of MKO Abiola and the cherished reputation of the erstwhile University of Lagos.”

In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN said rather than blame the opposition for the protest, the PDP should be concerned with how the Jonathan Administration has reached the right destination through illegal routes.

ACN said while it is not opposed to any action to honour the late Abiola, it is opposed to the sectional nature of the honour.

The statement reads: ‘’Chief Abiola clearly won a national election, and this has been acknowledged by the government itself. Any honour to be conferred on him must reflect that. While it can be argued that UNILAG is a federal university, the truth remains that it is based in the Southwest.

‘’Also, in an era in which the establishment of universities has been liberalised, everyone with access to funds can now set up a university and name it after himself or herself. That has definitely eroded the importance attached to naming such institutions after national heroes, including Chief Moshood Abiola, winner of the June 12th 1993 presidential election.”

The ACN said it had never shied away from fighting for its beliefs.

The party said: ‘’What happened was that while President Goodluck

‘’Jonathan has access to the best legal advice possible. Had his advisers cared enough, they would have told him that since UNILAG was set up by an Act, it would require an amendment to that Act to change its name. They would also have told him that there are other options through which he could use his presidential fiat without creating the kind of unfortunate confusion that has greeted his decision on Chief Abiola.

‘’Such options include making June 12th or the birthday of the late Chief Abiola a national holiday; naming the Eagle Square or the National Stadium, both in Abuja, after him, and acknowledging – as the whole world knows - that he won the 1993 presidential election (instead of calling him a presumed winner) and posthumously inducting him into the league of former Presidents.”

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/48556-acn,-pdp-trade-accusations-over-students%E2%80%99-protests.html