Abiola’s death: Children, activists absent at 25th anniversary prayer

A 25th remembrance prayer in honour of late MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, was held in Lagos Friday at the…

A 25th remembrance prayer in honour of late MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election, was held in Lagos Friday at the deceased’s family house.

However, the prayer session witnessed low turnout even as none of Abiola’s children attended the session held at his Toyin Street residence Ikeja.

It would be recalled that Abiola died on July 7, 1998, five years after the annulment of the June 12 election declared as the freest and most peaceful election in Nigeria’s history.

His death remains a mystery amidst insinuation that he was poisoned by the government in power which has since been denied.

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On June 12, 2023 which was Democracy Day, many activists including the state Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, had converged at his residence to honour the deceased.

But yesterday, which was the 25th anniversary of his death, the special prayers held in his residence witnessed only 10 attendees including the Muslim and Christian clerics who led the prayers and a few family friends.

Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran, was the only known activist at the event. Also, a family friend, Alhaja Aminat Irawo, attended.

They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pronounce him as the winner of the 1993 presidential election in addition to the recognition given to him by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Adeniran paid homage to Abiola, saying he laid his life for Nigeria’s democracy to flourish.