Thirty years after the mysterious death of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola in military custody, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has given reasons why the military did not allow the June 12, 1993 election winner to rule Nigeria.
MKO Abiola could not have been Nigeria’s president thirty years ago, according to Obasanjo, who made this claim in a speech he gave on Wednesday in Ogun State at a lecture titled “Eyin Ni Iwe Wa: You Are Our Epistle” – (bad people).
Obasanjo said that MKO Abiola, a graduate of the Baptist Boys High School, was denied his mandate when speaking during the school’s centenary celebrations in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
Obasanjo emphasised that the school helped mould the late wise man, Obafemi Awolowo, former Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Prince Bola Ajibola, and others into the people they are today. He claimed that he would not be who he is today if BBHS had not given him moral values and a solid education.
Obasanjo, who remarked that the 100-year-old school had, in addition to imparting instruction, at various points ingrained heavenly virtue in all of its products, said: “Today, there are distinguished old boys in all walks of life, i.e., private sector, academia, military and paramilitary, civil society, traditional rulership, etc. Such is the present President of Old Boys Association of BBHS,Prof Kayode Oyesiku.
“I believe that I must not be too forgetful to leave out yours truly, the son of Obasanjo, a modest war-victorious General and former Military Head of State and former President of Nigeria. Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the first communication industry millionaire in Nigeria and the acclaimed winner of the 1993 Presidential election who was in a class by himself”.
“If not for Nigerian bad belle, M.K.O. Abiola would have been President and with me as President, we would have needed one more old student of BBHS to be President for us to permanently locate it in BBHS after three times. And that is a challenge for up-and-coming generations of old boys.”
“The octogenarian urged the next generation to preserve and pass on the moral virtues and discipline instilled in them by the school.”.