Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO) was not allowed to become the president because of “bad belle”. This was the view of former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday in Abeokuta after his investiture as a trustee of the Abeokuta Club, a socio-cultural organisation of Egba people of Ogun State.
Abiola was adjudged to have won the June 12, 1993 presidential election that was eventually annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida, the then military ruler.
Obasanjo said the annulment robbed Egbaland and Ogun State the rare privilege of having three of its prominent sons occupying the number one leadership position in the country at different times.
It will be recalled that the former Head of Interim National Government(ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan, and Obasanjo himself, who governed the country first as a military Head of State and a civilian president are both from Ogun State.
Obasanjo was honoured alongside the late Abiola, who was awarded a posthumous vice-patron of the club.
MKO was my schoolmate at the Baptist Boys High School (BBHS) Abeokuta, Obasanjo recalled, insisting that the late politician richly deserved the award bestowed on him by the Club.
According to the former President, “When Abeokuta Club was in the process of being birthed, things in Abeokuta were not as rosy as they are today. And the sons of Abeokuta, who were in Lagos, put their heads together in late Chief Sobo Sowemimo’s residence to think of what they could do to improve the development of Abeokuta as a city. I pay tributes to all those founding members, those who have departed this world and those who are still here.
“I want to thank the club for this honour being bestowed on me and the honour being bestowed on my school mate, MKO Abiola, which he richly deserved.
“Kabiyesi, the Alake (of Egbaland) alluded to it. Normally, when you win a cup three times, you keep that cup. Isn’t it? If not for bad belle, Abeokuta would have produced President of Nigeria three times, in which case, we should have kept it permanently.
“But be that as it may, we have a great heritage. And we should be proud of our heritage. On this note, I will say on this occasion, I thank the President, the patron and grand patron, members of the Board of Trustees, the executive. I want to say this, I will continue to contribute my quota to the development and growth of this club and by extension, the development and growth of Abeokuta, of Ogun State, of Nigeria, of African and indeed the of world in whichever way I could.”
While presenting the plaque to Obasanjo, the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, described Obasanjo and MKO as proud sons of Egbaland.
