June 12: Worth Celebrating In Honour of Abiola or The Repayment of Evil For Him?

NEWS DIGEST – “Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ And Vanity comes along and asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But Conscience asks the question ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.” – Martin Luther King

On 12th of June, 1993, I haven’t found my way into my mother’s womb, I was still with God planning how life and my destiny will be. But then, having reached the world some years after and as a passionate student of politics, I have drank from the water of history.

According to Wikipedia, “Presidential elections held in Nigeria on 12 June 1993, the first since the 1983 military coup. The result was a victory for Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party, who defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. However, the elections were later annulled by military ruler Ibrahim Babangida , leading to a crisis that ended with Sani Abacha heading a coup later in the year.

According to African Elections Database, “Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of Social Democratic Party had total votes of 8,341,309 (58.36%) while his opponent, Bashir Tofa of  National Republican Convention had 5,952,087 (41.64%).

History has it that every region in Nigeria came together in one voice for Late MKO Abiola. In fact some Nigerians raised argument that June 12 should be marked as democracy day following the election that was accepted by all to be free and fair but unfortunately  annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida for reasons some Nigerians claimed to know while some find it difficult to know.

Till this very moment, my parents still remember Late Chief MKO Abiola presidential campaign songs. My father, though not a chorister do sing one of the songs to me: “My brother, wetin you dey think-o My sister, h-e-l-p don come MKO, MKO, MKO -A C T I O N Abiola, Abiola, Abiola -P R O G R E S S Abiola na the man, SDP na the party to help our nation to better our lives-o…”

Rigging of election is one of the types of corruption and since 1914, there have always been two stories to every incident, our rulers give the official story to news men while the original story remains with them.

My parents told me that Late Abiola was generous as he engaged in countless charitable donations to the wretched. History also has it that Late MKO Abiola dashed out several scholarships to students from his wealth without limiting these good deeds to his own ethnic or geographic group. Many Nigerians were of the opinion that his (Abiola’s riches) won’t allow him to embezzle public funds.

But, ruminating over the Late Fela Kuti track about ITT (International Thief Thief) and a meticulous perusal of history, lovers of history need not argue that Abiola made his money when he became the chairman of International Telegraph and Telephone (ITT) which he was able to perfect through mutual relationship with military officers.

Hmm, I have read interview where Moshood Fayemiwo said Babangida annulled June 12 election because there were rumours that Mariam Babangida slept with Late MKO Abiola in China (no one knew whether it was true or false) and another story that the deep seated animosity between Babangida and Abiola was born out of the money stolen by Late Samuel Doe, Former Liberia President kept in Abiola’s account which later resulted to kerfuffle between the duo.

Also, a former Personal Physician to Chief MKO Abiola,  Dr. Ore Falomo, on the 9th of June 2013 said: “Whatever you sow, you will reap. You can’t be destroying others and expect to have victory because those who destroy others must end with destruction at their hour of victory.”

He narrated that in 1979, he was in the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN (Awolowo’s party), and he was a UPN legislator elected into the federal House of Representatives.  He stated that there was a provision in the transition decree of 1978/79 for an Electoral College if the presidential election became inconclusive and that election was inconclusive because Shehu Shagari did not get two-third of 19 states.

So, they were all preparing for Electoral College election for Nigeria’s President. NPP, GNPP, PRP and the UPN together had the majority in the National Assembly which constituted the Electoral College.

He further said that the late Mallam Aminu Kano of PRP, Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP, Nnamdi Azikiwe of NPP and Awolowo of UPN had met to select a joint candidate but three days to the Electoral College, General Obasanjo removed the clause on Electoral College. That was why Awolowo had no other option than to go to court and the eventual court judgment gave rise to the issue of 12 2/3.

Dr. Falomo said Late MKO Abiola and General Obasanjo conspired to remove the Electoral College clause. Later, Concord newspaper published the headline “Maroko land: Awolowo where is your sincerity”.

It was said that news report deflated Awolowo so much that he was no longer himself. Awolowo started battling how to best explain the Maroko land matter. Years later, when General Babangida came and set up two political parties, SDP and NRC, overnight the military disqualified both parties’ contenders for the presidency, again, aided and abetted by MKO Abiola.

Remember that, Olusegun Obasanjo also said that “Abiola is not the Messiah that Nigerians are looking for”. Could this be true? Even Obasanjo himself remains one of the oppressors that looted and still looting the solid part of our treasury.

Senator Rowland Owie, Former Senate Chief Whip on June 12, 2013 said  “Yes, it is necessary to note that M.K.O Abiola’s death followed United States’ Ambassador Thomas Pickering’s suspicious mission to Nigeria. We should also note that after Abiola died, General Abubakar, (Former Nigeria’s head of state) went to the White House to visit the sitting American President and he went there in his military uniform. Can you recollect anybody who’d entered the White House in military uniform? It is not done but General Abubakar was given that exception. How long had General Abubakar been in power before he was received by the American President? Whereas, the immediate past American President (Barack Obama) never found it important enough to come to the same Nigeria in which the previous American government played big roles in taking out M.K.O Abiola and General Sani Abacha.

In 1998, Thomas Pickering’s delegation got to Aguda House by 3pm. According to his own press conference, M.K.O Abiola died between 3:20 and 3:40pm that same day. Nobody told Abiola he was going to have visitors that day. So, they woke him up and he just brushed his teeth and came out to meet with Thomas Pickering, Susan Rice and the rest of the American delegation. Abiola had not had his lunch. According to the Americans, their mission was to convince Abiola to denounce his (June 12) mandate and go for another election, a request he had long rejected to the full knowledge of this American delegation. When the Americans came in, the chief guard who usually stayed with Abiola was not there. Abiola came unaccompanied to that meeting. The Americans brought a special flask, which Hamza Al-Mustapha described as multi-dimensional. They poured themselves tea and then poured tea for M.K.O Abiola. There is no precedence of a visitor bringing tea for his host but the Americans offered, did so, and, offered tea to someone in detention, with no guard around. Ambassador Pickering later said in his press conference that shortly after Abiola had taken the tea, he complained of pain in the chest and grabbed his chest. And later, he felt uncomfortable and then, went to the convenience to ease himself, but he did not come back as expected. They called on him and he told them he was coming. By then, he had started feeling weak. They asked him if they should call the doctor but he said they should ask the guard to help get his pain tablets. But he died before the pain tablets arrived. By the time the doctor came, Abiola had already died. They took his body to Aso Rock clinic where they tried to jerk his heart back to life, but he was gone. That was how M.K.O Abiola died,” he narrated.

For those who have read Shehu Shagari’s Memoir titled “Beckoned to Serve”, He (Shagari) said the military conspirators got their financial support from a well-known business tycoon.

 Arguably, Late Abiola was part of Nigeria ambassadors of poverty who if allowed to rule Nigeria might continue to sponsor the military who ended up wasting him.

It so disheartening that Late Chief MKO Abiola is not alive to defend himself.

Long live Nigeria!!!

Adejumo Kabir is student journalist of Obafemi Awolowo University.

Editor’s Note: Article published as sent.