It Would Take A Century For Nigeria To Produce Another MKO Abiola – Family

Family of late MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, has described the late business mogul as a special breed, saying it would take a century before Nigeria can produce another Abiola. The head of Abiola Family, Murtala Abiola, said this on Sunday while speaking with newsmen during the annual […]

Family of late MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, has described the late business mogul as a special breed, saying it would take a century before Nigeria can produce another Abiola.

The head of Abiola Family, Murtala Abiola, said this on Sunday while speaking with newsmen during the annual prayer session for the winner of the 1993 presidential election held at the family compound of Gbagura, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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The annual prayer session was part of the activities in commemoration of the June 12 Democracy Day Anniversary.

The presidential election on June 12, 1993, deemed Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll, and presumably won by late Abiola, was annulled by the then military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida

And in June, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari honoured Abiola by officially declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, instead of May 29.

Buhari also announced the conferment of Nigeria’s highest national honour on Abiola while his running mate, Babagana Kingibe and late lawyer and human rights activist Gani Fawehinmi were conferred with the second highest national honour.

Speaking at the prayer session on Sunday, the Head of Abiola family paid a glowing tribute to the “golden son of the family.”

The family head said, “I have been saying it, before we can get the type of MKO Abiola again, maybe another 100 years. He was a special breed, people like him are not easy to come by.

“Many years after his death, he is still the richest (man) in the whole world because we still have his money in the World Bank. So, MKO Abiola was a special breed and we were lucky as a family to have had him as one of us. We’re still enjoying the privileged today.”

He also called on the Federal Government to implement the late politician’s manifesto in order to give succour to less privileged Nigerians.